“Be the kindness you want to see.” A friend asked me about that phrase this week. It’s one of those lines that can feel like a hand on your shoulder, until the world gets heavy. Then it turns into a real question: how do we keep choosing kindness when
The Color That Moves Us Red is the color we choose when we want something to matter. Play a child Gustav Holst’s Mars, the Bringer of War and hand them a box of crayons. The drums stomp. The brass leans in. The music feels like it’s walking toward
There are Starfleet episodes that test cadets. And then there are episodes that test command. “Come, Let’s Away” is the latter. From the first crisis beat to the final message from Nus Braka, this hour lives in the shadow of Spock’s famous truth: the needs of the many
We don’t fear change in theory. We fear it when it shows up in our daily lives. Switch our shampoo, our pillow, or our morning routine, and suddenly we’re irritated. We sleep on the same side of the bed, reach for the same blanket, buy the same products
A quiet love letter to healing, legacy, and Deep Space Nine There are many unforgettable episodes throughout Trek. There are episodes that entertain, episodes that challenge, and episodes that stay with us long after the credits roll. This one did something else. Episode 5 of Starfleet Academy did not just
Three renegades, three crews, and the messy art of learning to lead I keep coming back to Star Trek not for the polished captains who already have it figured out, but for the ones who clearly don’t. The ones who talk too fast, act too soon, and make decisions
Friendship, Friction, and Finding the Present This week’s episode, “Vox in Excelso,” didn’t hook me with explosions or spectacle. It hooked me with something far more Star Trek: identity, grief, and the quiet courage it takes to speak as yourself when your entire culture insists you should be
This past year has made me question something I’ve believed in my entire life. Kindness has always been my compass. Not the polite kind. Not the “keep the peace” kind. The kind that asks you to show up with humanity even when it would be easier to shut down
Why “Vitus Reflux” isn’t about winning. It’s about becoming Starfleet again. If Starfleet Academy is meant to be a rebuilt beacon of hope in the 32nd century, then “Vitus Reflux” is the episode that reminds us rebuilding is messy. Sometimes it’s diplomatic. Sometimes it’s emotional. Sometimes
A Mirror-Universe Borg and the Current Political and Cultural Moment in the United States I’ve been thinking a lot about the current political and cultural moment in the United States, and the comparison that keeps coming to mind comes from science fiction. The closest analogy is the Borg Collective,
A semester begins, a planet comes back, and Starfleet’s future stands up. If episode one was the door opening, “Beta Test” is the moment you step inside and realize the place is alive. Not just shiny and new. Alive with possibility, personality, and the kind of growing pains that
A rebooted campus, a new generation, and a future that still knows where it came from. There are premiere episodes that introduce a cast, set the stakes, and move on. And then there are premieres that feel like a mission statement. “Kids These Days” is the second kind. It understands
I was reminded today of something that quietly carried me through my cancer journey. It wasn’t a plan. I didn’t decide it ahead of time or sit with a list of intentions. It was simply the way I’ve always moved through the world. I’ve always believed
There are movie lines that are basically designed to become wallpaper. Pretty. Quotable. Shareable. Something you post over a soft gradient background and scroll past. And then there are lines that land like a full-body pause. The kind that makes you stop chewing your popcorn. The kind that quietly rearranges
Before we even get to January, can we all agree on something? We are tired. Emotionally. Mentally. Possibly physically. And yet somehow, we’re being asked to map out our entire future in the next 48 hours. Happy almost New Year, lovelies. We’re two days out, which means the
The Holidays can be fun. They can also be overwhelming, emotional, loud, and a little exhausting. Even if you love this time of year, it can still feel like a lot. Expectations, schedules, people, memories. All of it stacks up quickly. This year can be different in small but meaningful
I did a small nice thing the other day. Nothing heroic. No cape. Just a quick moment where I chose kind instead of hurry. And here is the part that caught me off guard. It came back to me almost immediately. Not as applause, or some magical karma fireworks, but
I remember the moment it caught me off guard. I had put on a familiar sci-fi episode, expecting background noise while I unwound. Then a character made a choice I had seen a hundred times, and something in me paused. Oh. This is not just ships and uniforms. This is
Giving Tuesday arrives right after the rush of holiday sales, and today it feels like the world finally takes a breath. After days of buy this and grab that, we get a simple question, what can we give today? Not what can we spend, but what can we offer that
There is a slide I keep coming back to. It’s simple, almost blunt, and it cuts right through the noise. It says to schedule your fun first. Not after the deadlines. Not after the laundry. Not after everyone else has what they need. First. Most of us don’t
Let’s talk about happy places. Not the kind with curated Instagram sunsets and overpriced drinks with tiny umbrellas (though no judgment if that’s your thing). I’m talking about the kind of place that hits deeper. The one that lives in your bones. Where your brain finally stops
Ever get that strange gut feeling like something’s about to shift? Not necessarily bad, just... different? The air feels heavier. Your thoughts drift. The usual rhythm is off. You can’t explain it, but deep down, you know something’s coming. As Bert from Mary Poppins once said: “Winds
It’s one of the first words most of us ever learn, and toddlers wield it like a superpower. Why is the sky blue? Why can’t I eat dirt? Why do birds fly and we don’t? No shame, no fear, just pure curiosity on overdrive. But somewhere between
Let’s not sugarcoat it. On November 1, 2025, nearly 40 million Americans will lose access to SNAP benefits. That’s the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. And that’s going to hit hard. Families, seniors, kids, people with disabilities, working folks barely getting by, this