Do something every day that scares you
That challenges you 
That pushes you
Like running in the woods after spotting a bear 
You can carry a whistle that you're dear friend picked up for you
You can improve your average pace 
Like playing flute duets with someone who studied music at a college level
You can try alto flute for the first time 
And feel humbled 
And remember what it was like to pick up a flute for the first time  
Like playing softball with teens
You can hit the ball on your second go at bat
And make it to third base twice! 
You can end the day
Feeling accomplished 
And a little wiped 
But proud of the knowledge
You got up and 
Did the thing. 

The bliss of floating on a lake
On a hot summer's day
While in the blue up above
Puffy clouds sail on by  

The thrill of running 16km / 10 miles 
The excitement and fear of seeing a bear
The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck
Sensed it before my consciousness did 
It was a baby 
I wanted to take a photo
But I didn't know where her mama was 
I didn't want to wait to find out
So I kept on running
Trying not to imagine possible headlines 
The air was warm 
I finished feeling good 
The joy of a runner's high! 

The thrill of the 8 day play
The astonishment of first-time actors 
Learning lines and blocking 
In mere days 
And then stepping on to the stage
The way they are still a little self-conscious 
Testing out this thing of the 
Audience response 
The way their friends cheer for them 
The way their spirits soar when they get a laugh
When they nail the scene and remember all the lines
And where to move 
The way they bow 
The thrill of it all 
​Beginning

5 miles/8.04km 
Choosing a different route 
Because I'm already bored of the one I've been running
Mixing up the view
Mixing up the hills 
The killer that is coming back up 
Buck's Rock Rd 
Leaning into the upward slope 
Thank you for the stretch
The exhilaration of reaching
The end. 

When fireflies dance around the bonfire
And look like tiny sparks 

Sitting behind the igloo
Overlooking the forest
The sounds of camp behind me
The trees have grown bigger since I was last down here and obstruct the view some
It’s still beautiful and quiet
The wind caresses the trees
Somewhere down the hill, someone is mowing a lawn
The sunlight sparkles through the green of the tree canopy
Birds in the distance
I need to change into jeans
The air is cooling
The trees call out
The desire to escape people and social media and
Business and busy-ness
To be still
To unwind
To let go of it all
Cancer, Aaron, Kris, New Jersey, commuting, paying rent, earning money
The desire to give up my worldly possessions
To just be
To sit and watch the sunset through the forest trees.

A Disney karaoke night
Turns into an en-masse Disney sing-a-long
The kids belt out Hamilton and The Little Mermaid and Mulan and Encanto
They know Menken but Miranda is au courant
The joy of it
The fun of it
The delight of singing songs together

A visit to
Edith Wharton’s estate
Designed by the Pulitzer Prize winning author herself
With her eye for classical architecture and
Symmetry and
Clean lines and
Circular shapes
The grounds are extensive
And stunning
Filled with art
Whimsical and thought-provoking and somehow seeming right at home
In the woods
A tour of the house reveals
The luxury and freedom of wealth
Imagine breakfast in bed facing east
Time for morning pages
And walks through the Italian Renaissance garden
And French garden
And walkway lined with trees
And trips to Europe for years on end
And dinner at 8pm
The forest surrounding the house
Most definitely enchanted
Most definitely home to fairy queens
And tiny beings
A new favorite