Pushing Pause on the Pursuit of Happiness
For most of my life, I’ve been very good at chasing more—more goals, more plans, more accomplishments, more of whatever comes next. But lately, something feels different. I still have dreams (including one that’s somehow become an actual second draft of a book!), but I’m beginning to realize I don’t have to wait for those dreams to come true before I’m allowed to enjoy my life. Maybe I’m actually starting to understand this whole thriving thing!
Nothing Happened. Everything Changed.
How does someone go from being one of your favorite people to someone whose name makes you sigh when it pops up on your phone? And why can some relationships survive years of distance while others quietly disappear without anything ever really happening? I’ve been thinking about friendship, distance, unmet needs, slow-motion ghosting, and the strange ways people move in and out of our lives.
Masks Make Relationships Impossible
How many masks do you wear?
Years ago, I saved an image of a person peeling away mask after mask until only a vulnerable human being remained underneath. When I recently came across it again, I realized why it had stayed with me all these years: I recognized myself in it.
In this reflection on identity, authenticity, accountability, and faith, I explore why we hide, what it costs us to keep performing, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to manage everyone else's perception of us. Along the way, I wrestle with a difficult question: What if the goal isn't becoming someone new, but having the courage to let ourselves be fully seen?
Because maybe masks don't just hide us from one another.
Maybe masks make relationships impossible.
Unpacking Jere: A Different Kind of Growth Project
Who am I without the titles, accomplishments, responsibilities, and roles I've spent a lifetime building? That question launched a six-month journey of self-discovery, healing, and honest reflection. In this post, I share why I've begun asking harder questions, examining old patterns, and learning that growth isn't always about finding new answers—sometimes it's about becoming honest enough to face yourself.
Father’s Day Has Always Been Complicated
What does it mean to miss someone you've never known? In this Father's Day reflection, I explore the complicated grief of losing my father before I could know him, the challenge of becoming a father myself, and the ongoing journey of figuring out what it means to be a man, a parent, and a work in progress.