Hey there, I’ve got a hitting lesson at 9, a couple calls this afternoon, and the usual low-level packing stress. Monday I leave for Newport, then head west through the Philippines, Malaysia, India, England, and finally back to Florida for the United Ostomy Conference. It’s a long stretch. I’ll need to bring a full setup of supplies. Not just a few extras. A real inventory. Adhesive, wafers, backup bags, support wear, scissors, wipes, stoma powder, belts. It’s a second suitcase at this point....
1 day ago • 1 min read
Hi there, Evan Beard passed away last night. He’d been battling cancer for years. In and out of remission. Always fighting. Yet, somehow still always showing up with that easy smile. That kindness. That way of making every single person feel seen. Anyone that's been to Wake Up Coffee on St. Simons Island knew Evan. Or you felt him, even if you didn’t know his name. He was the heartbeat of the business. He made that place what it was. What it still is. Back in 2013, I was living on the island....
2 days ago • 2 min read
Hey there, Yesterday was rough, but I don’t want to dwell on it. Just one of those moments that reminded me I’m still getting used to this version of me. The new routines, the fatigue, the unpredictability. I assumed that once the pain went down, my energy would shoot up. But that hasn’t happened yet. My legs feel heavy most days. Like I’m walking through water. It’s frustrating. I keep thinking I should be further along. From today's excerpt of Resilient by Rick Hanson: “If a person doesn’t...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I had coffee with Malan this morning. Fin was heading to the vet. I got to see him before he left. Still his cheerful little self. No idea what was coming. After that, I recorded a podcast with Karen Mitchell from Pickleball England. It was a great conversation. A lot of interesting insights around the national and global governance landscape. I left feeling settled. Productive. Focused. I went to a coffee shop to get some work done. I ordered a refill. Then I headed to the...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Hey there, I’m a week out from flying to California. I’ll still have a few days to train once I’m there, but having a clear timeline helps. Especially when life feels full and a little overwhelming. It gives me something to work toward. And that's really important to have when I feel overwhelmed. Getting ready for Newport is my focus right now. So each day this week is about getting small wins each day. Getting on court. Drilling. Playing. Eating clean. Drinking more electrolytes than I feel...
5 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, I played yesterday. I hadn’t planned on it, and I didn’t prep like I normally do. No KT tape to reinforce the ostomy pouch adhesive. No backup supplies. I just went. It was hot. Humid. The kind of sweat that soaks through everything and doesn’t stop. The adhesive peeled up fast. The top half of the bag came loose. By the time I finished, it was barely holding. I could see the edge starting to lift. I didn’t have anything with me to fix it. I just hoped I wouldn’t need to. That’s...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, Had a good hitting lesson with Sean yesterday. It felt good to be on court. Felt good to move. Felt good to help someone, and I needed that. This morning, starting Chapter 3 of Resilient, I read about learning. And the different stages that affect us throughout the day. The brain tends to lock in the negative and gloss over the rest. So unless I slow down and actually feel the good things, especially the simple ones, they don’t stick. That made sense to me. I’ve had a lot of...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I’ve had this line from The Life of Chuck looping in my head since yesterday: “We are wonderful.” And this morning, sitting on the patio with coffee, I kept thinking about that truth. We are wonderful. And yet, somehow, so much of our life is spent forgetting or suppressing what we actually need. I read the next few chapters of Resilient today. Fittingly, they were about all of our three needs: safety, satisfaction, and connection. The book gave an example of a grandmother...
8 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I went to a matinee today. Life of Chuck. It was beautiful. Quietly strange. Not trying too hard. Just real. There’s a line that repeats throughout the film: I am wonderful. I deserve to be wonderful. I didn’t roll my eyes. I didn’t resist it. I believed it. Because it is a miracle to be here. To be alive. To be reading this sentence. To be whoever you are, wherever you are, interacting with this right now. That’s insane, if you think about it. Like actually insane. Think about...
9 days ago • 1 min read