Level 1,000 and Learning Grace

A gaming milestone, a new obsession with 3D printing, and a reminder that recovery from stroke, grief, and PTSD is rarely a straight line. Sometimes the hardest lesson isn't healing—it's learning to give yourself grace.

The Good Change

Three years after Jacob's death, I received answers I never expected. This isn't a letter about grief. It's a letter about surviving control, violence, betrayal, and finally recognizing the freedom that came afterward.

"As always, no matter what, my dogs remain at my side. And I don't think I will ever stop grieving the wonderful person that my mom was."

Touching the Untouchables

Some grief stories are easier to hear than others. We readily accept fond memories of those we've lost, but what happens when grief comes wrapped in anger, irritation, and unfinished conversations?

"Turns out the apocalypse is mostly paperwork and learning not to care what strangers think."

Nobody Is Watching

After years of worrying what everyone else thought, I made a surprising discovery: most people are too busy dealing with their own lives to pay much attention to mine. Oddly enough, that's one of the most freeing things I've ever learned.