“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” ~Albert Einstein, adapted
I often feel like I was born into the wrong story.
I grew up in a time when success meant something quieter. My
“Even when we fall, we rise again—a little wiser, a little braver, and with a way better story to tell.” ~Jessica W. Bowman
The phone call arrived like a silent explosion, shattering the ordinary hum of a Tuesday morning. My
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ~Carl Jung
We all had a wild ride during the pandemic, am I right? Mine included falling in love with a woman. At fifty years old.
That’s not
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” ~Mark Twain
Let me set the scene.
It’s a blistering summer day in Miami—the kind where the humidity
“Vulnerability is not oversharing. It’s sharing with people who have earned the right to hear our story.” ~Brené Brown
Earlier this year, I found myself in a place I never imagined: locked in a psychiatric emergency room, wearing a paper
“Your silence will not protect you.” ~Audre Lorde
When I was little, I learned that being “good” meant being quiet.
Not just with my voice, but with my needs. My emotions. Even the space I took up.
I don’t remember
“You can rewrite the story. You just have to pick up the pen.” ~Unknown
I remember the exact moment I started disappearing.
It was my wedding day. Just before I walked down the aisle, my mother gently reached for my
“Our sorrows and wounds are healed only when we touch them with compassion.” ~Jack Kornfield
Her absence lingers in the stillness of early mornings, in the moments between tasks, in the hush of evening when the day exhales. I’ve gotten
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I built my life.” ~J.K. Rowling
Most people who know me will say I am incredibly kind, loving, and empathetic. They know me as a safe person that they can share anything
“Jerry, there is some bad in the best of people and some good in the worst of people. Look for the good!” ~George Chaky, my grandfather
I was seven when he said that to me. It would later become a
