Friendships are complicated things. Sophie and I weren’t the storybook best friends who did everything together. Instead, ours was built on a shaky foundation of high school rivalry, competing for grades, sports, and even attention at parties. But somewhere along the way, we found common ground. By college, she was the one I trusted…

My wife was the kind of person who made everything feel possible. We’d stay up late in the kitchen, talking about our daughter Nina’s future, planning vacations we’d take when she turned 16, laughing at inside jokes nobody else would understand. When cancer took her three years ago, it didn’t just steal my partner.…

My mom died when I was thirteen. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. One second, she was there, laughing, telling me to tie my shoelaces, humming in the kitchen while she made blueberry pie, and the next? She was gone. It was sudden, cruel, and the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. But…

Alright, y’all, tell me honestly, is there an age limit to wearing a swimsuit? Most of you sweet folks out there would probably say “Heck no, Patsy!”, bless your hearts. Well, let me tell you, there’s one person in this family who seems to think differently — and that critic happens to be my…

The night Avery came into my life, I was 26 and working the graveyard shift in the ER. I’d graduated from medical school six months earlier, still learning how to keep my composure when chaos erupted around me. But nothing prepared me for the wreckage that rolled through those doors just after midnight. I…

When my aunt Linda called to say she was planning a “special trip” for Grandma’s retirement, I thought it was sweet and a little surprising. Honestly, Linda isn’t known for follow-through unless there’s a photo op involved. Still, I wanted to believe she meant it this time. Hope can make you see halos where…