For the past year, New York City residents, and especially residents of uptown Manhattan, have been captivated by sightings of Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl who was at one point held in the Central Park Zoo. In February of 2023, Flaco’s mesh enclosure was slashed, and he escaped into the urban wild. New Yorkers began immediately to spot Flaco, who was known for his bright orange eyes, around town. For nearly twelve months, Flaco found apartment building courtyards to sleep in by day. At…

I have a new—as in two years running—tradition of taking myself out to Valentine’s Day dinner. I did this last year, and it turned into an incredibly fun and upbeat evening. I honored the tradition this past Wednesday. My mood was a little more subdued this year than last, and the ritual was less of an unexpected surprise. Still, I had a great time. Over dinner, I got to thinking about the role that restaurants play in my life and how grateful I…

This week, a close friend told me about the value she’s found in positive affirmations. She said that they’ve helped to keep her hopeful when she was close to giving up on something that mattered to her. It’s been a while since I practiced affirmations regularly, and I could use some extra hopefulness these days. I told my friend I was going to try working with affirmations this week. “Maybe I’ll try them in front of the mirror,” I said. That’s a thing,…

Like most people, I complain about winter. I bemoan the cold. I talk about how annoying it is to pile on and peel off layers of clothing. I say that I’m unmotivated to go outside. This winter, however, I’ve had to ask myself whether all of this, or any of it, is true. If I’m being honest, January has been sort of lovely in its deep wintriness. On the most wet or cold nights, I’ve curled up at home, catching up on TV…