We’re going to not care ourselves into a world of trouble if we’re not careful — I was a sensitive child. I cared a lot about others. To be fair, I’m a sensitive adult. It’s a bit easier navigating my sensitivity now than it was during my childhood. My dad seemed to hate that I was sensitive. In his words, I was “soft,” and softness was…

I have a confession. Once upon a time, I did not like myself. I hated myself. I wasn’t aware, but ignorance doesn’t make it any less accurate. You probably wouldn’t have known if you’d met me then. If you’d asked me how I felt about myself, my response would have…

Do you really want to know how I’m doing when you ask, “How are you?” — How are you? It’s a simple question, right? Or is it? I’ll admit it’s a question I’ve come to hate. I hate it because I don’t believe it’s a genuine question. One of my friends and I share an equal dislike of the use of this question because of the…

What if it’s actually neither? My daughter used to be terrified of horror movies. She was so terrified that she couldn’t even look at a poster of one. When at the theater to see a movie, I’d have to cover her eyes with a jacket or blanket and guide her…

It took me doing all the things I didn’t like in my 20s to make peace with the fact that I didn’t want a conventional life. I’m what you would call a late bloomer, and I have yet to peak entirely. Do you know those who are so secure in…

As the great Teddy Pendergrass sang, it feels so good when you love somebody, and somebody loves you back. And when you love people, you care about what happens to them. You care about the things they do. It’s the benevolent thing to do. Right? Well…yes, and no. It’s great…

What’s the proper response to a compliment? — I have a confession. I’m not the best at receiving compliments. In fact, I was once terrible at doing so. I would deflect and find a way to inform the compliment-giver why they had no business complimenting me. Compliment my dress. This old thing? It wasn’t even my first choice…

My dad had a way of speaking. He had a lot of sayings — phrases and lessons he’d spout in his signature parable-esque style. One such thing he’d often say is “Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see.” As time has progressed, I’ve learned to…

I pissed off the internet for daring to talk about my dad. This year will mark 14 years since my dad died. The passing of time has been strange, as it’s a bit oxymoronic. I’m not as sad as I was when he initially died, yet I don’t miss him…