Some questions don’t feel like questions at all. They feel like that moment on a trail when the ground changes beneath your feet; solid dirt giving way to loose scree. You stop, not because you’re tired, but because something underneath […]
intimacy
Above the Tree Line In 2023, my daughter Anna and I stood on the summit of Torreys Peak in Colorado. We had spent hours climbing toward that moment. The trail had been clear, our bodies felt strong, and when we […]
A while back, someone told me they didn’t think I was emotionally intelligent. The comment caught me off guard. Not because I believe I’ve mastered emotional intelligence. Far from it. I still get things wrong. I become overwhelmed. I retreat […]
There is a kind of person who stops on the trail after conflict and looks back. Not because they are weak. Not because they are guilty of everything. Not because they enjoy pain. But because something in them wants to […]
There’s something both sobering and seductive about unfolding a trail map before a climb. At first glance, all you see are lines. Contour marks.Elevation gains.Switchbacks.Distance.Warnings. Sometimes, those lines alone are enough to make you question whether the journey is worth […]
Deep Questions Yesterday in my sixth-grade English class, we were talking about emotions. Not the tidy, laminated-chart versions that live on classroom walls and get trotted out during advisory periods; but the real ones. Anxiety. Fear. The feelings that arrive […]
I’ve spent nights in the mountains where the fire was my only anchor. The wind cut sharp, the dark pressed in, and no matter how close I pulled my sleeping bag around me, the cold stayed. But the flames gave […]
The Rope Between Us If you’ve ever stood at the base of a rock wall with a rope in your hands, you know the weight of responsibility. The climber ties in, checks the knots, and calls down the words that […]
The Canyon Isn’t Silent Grief is a canyon. Wide, but not quiet. Every sound, every memory, every doubt ricochets off the walls and returns in a different form. What starts as a whisper of sadness can come back as a […]
Holding the Map When you hike with someone who’s carrying the only map, you follow their lead. You watch the trail they choose, the pace they set, the way they decide whether to push forward or pause. In relationships, many […]
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About Me
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