Earlier this week, my anxiety seemed to be through the roof. I couldn’t really figure out why, and I didn’t spend much time trying. Sometimes my anxiety is connected to an event or occurrence or deadline that’s stressing me out, but sometimes it’s like weather patterns, moving in and out with a mind of their own. When my anxiety is heightened, literally anything can become something to worry about. If I have nothing to worry about, my anxiety will create a reason. I…

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to see Jessica Chastain perform the role of Nora in A Doll’s House. She was incredible, and the production is stylish and powerful. The ending, in particular, is staged in a remarkable way. It was quite something to watch Nora’s evolution of reactions—first horror, then understanding, and finally, conviction—as she comes to realize that her seemingly comfortable middle class life has in fact functioned as a cage. This particular production encourages the audience to remain aware of…

On Friday, I looked up the Merriam-Webster definition of the word “grace.” The word has many meanings, and I think that I was fortunate enough to experience most of them in the past week. I received grace, the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful, from dear friends who helped me when some painful memories unexpectedly surfaced. I experienced grace, a reprieve or temporary exemption, when the suffering I experienced as a result of those memories abated more quickly, and with more…

You know how sometimes somebody says something to you at precisely the moment you need to hear it? I’m guessing that the real reason for this is that we create meaning from our experience. If something is already on our minds, we’re probably likely to hear what other people say and find some relevance in their comments. We hear and listen because we’re ready to hear and listen. Even so, there’s a part of me that really believes in serendipity. I’ve been surprised…