I was checking out at a store recently, still wearing a fleece I'd just had on for an appointment. The cashier complimented it, and I found myself telling her something I'd been rejoicing in for the past month: "I've had this for twenty years, but I've only worn it a handful of times until this season." For two decades, I looked at this fleece as a jacket—something for crisp autumn days when the weather required outerwear but hadn't yet demanded a real coat. The problem was,

As I write this, we're entering the season that's supposed to be about connection. Thanksgiving dinners, holiday gatherings, year-end celebrations with family and friends. Norman Rockwell paintings showing tables full of laughter, homes filled with warmth, communities coming together in joy. This is the time, we're told, when we belong. But here's what I've been noticing lately - a pattern in how conversations actually go, or don't go. A friend suggests I watch a video about

In the past few days, two seemingly unrelated experiences had one thing in common - which led me to a bigger question about who decides what's real anymore. First, an article about detecting AI-generated content. Look for em dashes, it advised. Blue diamond bullet points. Particular word patterns. I've used em dashes for years. I hunted down those blue diamonds because I love color. My word choices have always been unconventional. Then a talk show caller insisted some public

Years ago, someone handed me a mortar and pestle with a simple "Here — it's for you." My immediate response was "What's it for?" —...

Whatever happened to genuine curiosity in our conversations? You know - those questions that weren't steering toward a predetermined...

This past week, I found myself in the middle of two online discussions that couldn't have been more different on the surface, yet...

The other day, I watched a small moment unfold that took me back decades in an instant. A child started to step into the street when his...

A podcast about play at work got me thinking recently. The guest was talking about how uptight our work environments have become - no...

The other day on Nextdoor, someone posted a thoughtful message asking neighbors to move beyond name-calling and engage in respectful...

Have you ever found yourself forming an immediate judgment about something or someone, only to have that perspective completely...

This morning while unloading my dishwasher, I found myself pausing in a moment of unexpected gratitude. Having spent most of my adult...

What began as a simple group chat about catching up unexpectedly blossomed into something magical. After reconnecting with old friends...

Sometimes the most profound reminders of human goodness emerge in our darkest moments. This past week, as devastating fires swept through...

It wasn't exactly the magical Paris experience I'd imagined. After a 2-week whirlwind trip through Europe, my friend and I arrived in...

In these December days, as holiday expectations layer upon social tensions and world events weigh heavily on our hearts, many of us feel...

"We speak of the sun's light as 'pouring down on us,' as 'pouring over us' in all directions. Yet it's never poured out. Because it...

In our journey towards the Vibrant Middle , nature stands out as a powerful force for building connections and combating loneliness. But...

In our journey to embrace the Vibrant Middle in all aspects of life, let's turn our attention to a fundamental element of human...