I travelled to meet my biological sister in Florida for the very first time last weekend. We had a blast. But it wasn’t a “real” vacation involving relaxation and forgetting about work while catching up on 30+ years gone by. I punished my immune system with travel and low sleep and beer. Her (now my) family recovered from COVID a month ago, so I wasn’t worried about them. And of course,...

If you haven't done so, please read before the post below. Otherwise, you might be a little lost. A time warp developed in my cubicle as I anticipated any number of possible replies she would send. I wasn’t even sure if she would respond. My mind started racing. Maybe it’s the wrong email? What if it’s the right person but she has no interest in starting a conversation? After all, it’s...

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was optimistic that people would rally together for a greater good. I imagined that in the midst of great peril we would put aside our differences to help each other understand our fellow human beings. I envisioned lovers talking to each other more often and with deeper meaning and neighbors conversing over fences for the first time about their deepest fears....