Sarah’s story of learning how to connect, volunteering with passion, and keeping it real — At the age of 12, the school Sarah was attending was going to be having ‘outdoor’ school for the week. It was 2 hours away from her home in Portland, Oregon. Sarah cried, “I can’t go!” She succumbed to irrational fears that she couldn’t control. …

I’m not excited about turning 39 but I am excited about what it has to offer — I sat alone, outside a coffee shop, stack of books and cold brew at my side and contemplated my last year. It was a typical setting in an atypical year. I turned 38 near the beginning of the pandemic last year. …

Short Story and More — 3 years ago, I went through a season of life I’d rather never re-live again. Betrayal, loss, heartache, dreams shattered, unknown future. I even had a couple of teeth explode (not kidding).

A question I’ve wrestled with for 10+ years becomes all too relevant — Is it OK for White People to Post Photos with African Children to Support Black Lives Matter? My short answer is, no. No, it is not ok. It misses the mark entirely. At the same time, I see others slinging stones at those who do and I don’t think that…

A decade of loss — One of my friends asked, “So, how were your 30’s?” My facial response was, eeeeeeek. And there may have been an audible shriek in there too. I hadn’t thought about that, the decade as a whole, but when I did and, well, yikes. It starts in my 20’s. I’m not…

Inspiration short from Ukraine — I think one of the simplest things we can do in life is, care. Anastasia, a friend and refugee from Ukraine shared, “If you lost your home or lost someone, no one can get the people back to you. …

Inspiration short — “You know what else creates that special bond between teammates? You’ve got to make moments together.” — Frank Reich on Hard Knocks I grew up and went to high school with people I knew for 18 years. I lived and learned with the same people at college for 4 years…

Serving in a Refugee Camp — Petrisor picked me up from the house I was staying at. There were two ladies in the van. One I had seen volunteering (Irina) and the other I hadn’t met yet. Irina sat in the front seat and we started chatting. We were catching up on the week and where…