Loss, Gratitude, and the Vulnerability of Fierce Love

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” ~ Thornton Wilder This past Saturday, there was a devastating house fire two doors down from my apartment, causing $100,000 in damage to my neighbors’ beautiful home in northwest Portland. As I biked past the wreckage on Monday and saw my …

The Personal Impact of Angelina Jolie’s Public Announcement

A few years ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I still remember receiving the devastating phone call, hearing in her voice the fear she felt even as she attempted to conceal it for my benefit, and the way the news hit me in a tangible, physical way as she told me about the lump she’d discovered during a …