“What if your plan doesn’t work?” I was asked this question when I was around eighteen, and it haunted me for years. My plans were supposed to work because—I thought—they were based on truth. But the asker of the question knew something I didn’t yet: sometimes our plans don’t work out the way we think…
You might be familiar with this iconic line from the hit series Friends. Every time Joey (Matt LeBlanc) met a new woman, he would inevitably spew his famous line, “How you doin’?” In return, the woman would usually blush and bat her eyes, smitten by him. It’s become a classic Friends line. How are you?…
We didn’t see it coming. No one did. Somewhere on the other side of the world a new virus was making people very sick, but it was miles from home. Or at least that’s what we thought. In our home, the Christmas tree was still up. (We hold on to our decorations for as long…
The past year has been quite a struggle in many ways, and I’d like to say I’ve learned a lot in the process. Truthfully, it’s probably too soon to tell. Between working from home full-time, dealing with the stress of the pandemic, processing my anxiety and past trauma in therapy, and ensuring the stock of…
For most of my life, I have been a non-confrontational person. I hate conflict, and I especially hate bringing up something in conversation that might cause conflict. I have also had trouble being vulnerable about myself and my experiences. So if a topic means being vulnerable and potentially causing conflict, my instinct is to shy…
“I’m just not sure how to move forward with her,” my friend Sarah said. She had been telling me about recent struggles with a family member. Sarah and her relative were coming to the table with different perspectives, and I honestly didn’t know if they’d ever see eye to eye. Age, family dynamics, and desired…