It's been said that the average U.S. driver will experience three to four car accidents during their lifetime, filing a claim with their car insurance company about every 18 years. Car accidents are an unavoidable part of our day-to-day lives. Being cautious and using good judgment while driving can help reduce risks. However, nothing is guaranteed, especially with the number of drivers on the road at any given time. For reference, as of 2023, the United States Department of Transportation reported approximately 233 million licensed drivers nationwide. With so many drivers, all with varying degrees of aptitude and responsibility, it's unsurprising that in 2022, approximately 5.8 million drivers were involved in non-fatal car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recent report. I have been driving for 32…
"Acceptance doesn't mean resignation, that the circumstance goes away, or that we necessarily feel better about it. The impact and emotions it evokes is present irrespective of whether we accept it or not. The question is whether we're layering on the pain and further intensifying and exacerbating what already exists." - Michelle P. Maidenberg (psychologist and professor) The post you are about to read has been challenging for me to write, taking considerably longer to complete than any in recent memory. While the subject matter for this post was clear from the onset, as were my intentions for writing it, I found myself staring at a blank page for hours, even days, jotting down a cluster of ideas, ultimately leading to nowhere. Anyone who writes understands there are occasions when the artistic energy…
"As a mom, I could feed my child's anxiety, or I could feed their peace. We set the temperature for our kids." – Beth Moore, President of Living Proof Ministries. This weekend, my wife and I attended a live sporting event near our home, and after its unclimactic conclusion, I found myself somewhat surprised by what I'd just witnessed. My wife and I don't frequent live sporting events, so we're not aware of or accustomed to enthusiastic fans' over-the-top behaviors as they encircle players from the sidelines with a chorus of harsh and negative comments that are hard to ignore. While I understand playing sports requires incredible concentration and the ability to dismiss a chorus of negative comments thrown at you by eager spectators, I'm unsure how players successfully accomplish…
"Growing old is a privilege, but growing old with you is a blessing beyond measure." – Unknown. Whenever I can, I like to visit my local Costco warehouse store as soon as it opens, especially if I only have to purchase a few smaller items. With only fresh spinach on my list one morning, I was eager to be in and out of the store as quickly as possible to avoid those shoppers who filled their carts to excess and would soon be clogging up the self-checkout lines. While making a beeline toward the refrigerated, fresh vegetable area, dashing down aisles to avoid the inevitable congestion at the free sample carts (and that guy who always tries to sell me solar panels), I passed by an elderly couple, who, by…
"That's what Christmas memories are made from, they're not planned, they're not scheduled, nobody puts them in their blackberry, they just happen." – Deck the Halls (Movie, 2006) My grandmother lived on the first floor of a modest two-family home. The rooms were not large, the décor was somewhat dated, and storage was always an issue, especially for a woman notorious for saving everything. Her first-floor apartment always felt warm, safe, and welcoming for a little boy who spent countless hours in his grandmother's company. Widowed in her early 50s, I became a loyal companion for my grandmother, filling in some of the silence with endless chatter, constant questions, and hearty laughter, which seemed to lessen our loneliness for very different reasons. Hers, due to the loss of my grandfather and me,…