For a long time, I thought life was mostly about its biggest moments. The trips, the accomplishments, the finish lines. I was always looking slightly ahead of wherever I was. This was especially true when I was back in school. Getting through it — just being finished — was never far from my mind. I … Read more
Reinvention rarely arrives as one dramatic turning point. Most of the time, it starts quietly—an uncomfortable nudge that something in your life no longer fits who you’re becoming. It can show up after big transitions, long stretches of frustration, or simply the realization that you want something different. Ryan Williamson felt that pull after a … Read more
When Courage Finally Gets Real Fluorescent lights. Fresh notebooks. The low hum of nervous chatter. I froze in the doorway of my first Radiologic Technology class—55 years old, surrounded by students in their twenties, thirties, and forties. I was the oldest in the room, clutching my backpack and wondering what I’d just gotten myself into. … Read more
We tend to think creativity belongs to kids, artists, or people with “extra time.” But here’s the truth: creativity isn’t a luxury—it’s fuel. And you don’t need hours or talent to spark it. All it takes is ten intentional minutes a day to warm up your creative muscles and shift your mindset. I started doing … Read more
August 2025 Edition Books That Fueled My Fire, Reset My Mind, and Helped Me Keep Going This month’s stack is all about focus, fire, reflection, and emotional honesty. Some of these books carried me through long clinical shifts and late-night studying when I wasn’t sure I had anything left in the tank. Others made me … Read more
For most of my life, who are you had an easy answer. Wife. Mom. The one who handled things. All real. None of it the whole picture — I just didn’t notice until 2020, walking the same few blocks with Tom while he recovered from having both hips replaced. There wasn’t much else to do … Read more
Introduction Have you ever wondered where you come from? What stories lie buried in the past, waiting to be uncovered? For many, genealogy is more than a hobby—it’s a journey of self-discovery, a connection to the past that shapes the way we see ourselves today. For Becky Stites, researching her ancestors has been a lifelong … Read more
I didn’t wake up one day and decide to reinvent myself. That’s not how it happened. What actually happened was slower and quieter than that — a gradual awareness that the life I was living had been built mostly by accumulation rather than intention. I’d moved through a career in accounting and finance the way … Read more