Whether it be birthdays, baptisms, holidays, or anniversaries, gift-giving is an inherently present aspect of our lives. One does not need much, if anything at all, to offer a gift to someone else. It can come in the form of a token, a compliment, a favor, or even something as simple as a smile.
As an instrument of human creation, music has an uncanny ability to express an emotion, capture a moment, and even define a whole time period of one’s life.
Last summer, I bought a book of poetry. It was an impulse-buy, I admit, from a dainty, quaint little bookshop in the small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. I was running errands for a freelance project that day and originally had no intentions of going to a bookstore. But as I walked along the sidewalk, [...]
A cool forest air rolls through the windows of my Ford Escape as it slowly eases to a stop. The soft breeze continues on, caressing the treetops of Allegheny National Forest in western Pennsylvania and offering a brief respite from the heavy heat of summer humidity. Several cars rest idly by in the parking lot, [...]
The trunk door of my Ford Escape slams shut, packed full of everything I had to my name. Walking back around the car, I climb into the driver’s seat and close the door. While wispy clouds of icy exhalation permeate inside with every breath, I start the ignition and take off down the road. Despite [...]
Twisting and turning up a mountain road, you climb steadily through a sea of towering pines and evergreens. Above the tree canopies, the clouds take on a soft, underbelly glow of a dawning new day. In a quite literal race against time, you take each bend in the mountain road as quickly as you can, [...]
Do you ever surprise yourself sometimes? Like when you look back on a decision you made and after it's all said and done, you can’t help but wonder, “Did I really just do that?” It’s typically the kind of decision you make on a whim with zero expectations, except for to take whatever comes next [...]
The sun beams down from a cloudy blue sky in the lush-green Ecuadorian mountains. You’re in an outdoor market with simple wooden carts lined along either side of the road. It seems with every step another small, elderly woman greets you with a gentle, “Buenos días ,” and a sun-kissed smile. Under the canopy of [...]
Something profound about the Night Incites An innermost part of the Self. For in darkness, does lie Solace. A hidden blanket to Embrace All that one has, After day Fades. Yet bold belief always persists, As fiery as it is Fierce, That holds darkness will soon abate As every dawn will Break. * * * [...]
"Used to Be"I learned all good things must come to an end, That the bill will always come due. I learned what it means to have your heart broken... But also how to merge one from two. I learned to say goodbye through a heartfelt smile, Despite the tears that already know That this goodbye--won't be just a mile; It’s a distance that will always [...]