At some point this year I realized that I was reading too much self-help. As constructive as all of the books, articles, and podcasts I was consuming were, at least in theory, the accumulation of advice was starting to stress me out. I made that decision in December, just in time to avoid the “new year, new you” rhetoric. But I’ve dipped my toes back into the self-help genre this week. This time, the wisdom I’m looking for has nothing to do with…

A couple months ago, I needed to ask for an extension on a big project. The person who gave me more time said the most compassionate thing. “You can only do what you can do,” she told me. I’ve thought a lot about these words since. It was a relief to hear them, and I’m trying to say them to myself now and then. So in that spirit—a weekend pause! I’ll be back in the groove next Sunday. And some food is coming…

There’s a quote from Rumi that I encounter often: Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. I could feel myself resisting this quote the first few times I read it. I got irritated by the suggestion that, if one doesn’t have or feel love, it’s somehow the result of a lack of openness or willingness. With time, I’ve come to appreciate the words and their…

It’s been a busy, emotional weekend in general, but the big news is that I got my first vaccine dose today! I thought I’d have a lot to say about it, but I don’t. I’m overwhelmed and grateful—that’s about all there is to it. As I was waiting in line for my shot, I thought about waiting on line to vote in October. That moment, like this one, felt hopeful. It gave me a glimpse of change, of something new. How appropriate that…