The Healing Power of Books and Music

Books and music have a quiet but profound ability to heal. Through them, emotions and thoughts can be steadied, grief and longing given a place to go. Music, in particular, allows feelings to surface without needing words, while books open doors to worlds beyond our immediate reality. I was fortunate to have a father who […]

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Another Year

Another year disappears behind me, unnoticed, unceremonious.Once again, my family and I trace our hopes and dreams onto paper, as if naming them might keep them from slipping away. This year, I offer less.No plans. No striving.Only being—and the fragile hope that it will be enough. Time is a human illusion, a construct we cling […]

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Learning to Stay

What one can achieve in sobriety is deeply personal; it looks different for everyone. For me, the emotional challenges were far more difficult than the physical ones. Alcohol gave me a false sense of self. I felt free, uninhibited, as if I had finally broken the chains of shyness and insecurity. But that freedom was […]

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The Vanishing Self: Lessons from Sixth Grade

As a teacher, I’ve chosen to teach both sixth, eleventh, and twelfth grades, a deliberate decision rooted in understanding the delicate nature of adolescent development. Sixth grade represents a unique, precious moment of human potential—a time of unbridled authenticity that, sadly, often diminishes too quickly. In sixth grade, students embody a remarkable spirit. They are […]

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Hopes, dreams, and resolutions

As I reflect on the speeding passage of time, I’ve noticed a shift in my yearly resolutions, hopes, and dreams. This isn’t a negative development; it signifies that I’ve either achieved those aspirations or some have lost their significance. Time provides a valuable perspective on life. I had an extensive list of goals and self-improvement […]

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Where is home?

In the past, I used to believe that home was simply the place where I slept and spent most of my time. However, as time passed, I came to understand that it is a more intricate concept. Home is not just a physical location, but rather a feeling that we carry with us wherever we […]

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In search for joy through shoes

After reading “The Body Keeps Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., I have had several realizations about my personality traits and how they have shaped me as a person. One particular realization has to do with my infatuation with shoes, which has puzzled me for some time. Until the age of 36, I owned […]

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