Reconsidering the Toxicity of Loneliness A drone shot of Morella, a walled city in Spain. From a now-famous abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness, a 24-year-old vagabond named Christopher McCandless—poisoned and starving—scrawled a few of his last words in the margins of one of his favorite books. It read: “Happiness is only real when shared.” Let me begin by saying: I know how dangerous loneliness can be, especially for those of us with mental health challenges. But I also love traveling...

Jung On Judgement A dancer in Valencia, Spain I got a little digital dusting of hate last week. Just a sprinkle of disgust. Nothing major. The comment started like a tip of the cap, then turned into a verbal flip of the finger. Years ago, that would’ve derailed my day, or my entire week. Like a bad pop song, I couldn't get it out of my head. As a freshman in college, I majored in Art. I’ll never forget the “walk to the wall.” I’d hang my work and shuffle back to my seat, scanning faces for...

The Shoebox Miracle The odds of ever having lived this dance called life are staggeringly low. My great-grandfather was born so small and fragile that the hospital sent him home in a shoebox. He was 4.5 months premature. That box was intended to be his final resting place. He was expected to die. He weighed about one pound. One pound of stubborn life. The doctor said there was no chance he would survive. “We’re sorry. There’s nothing we can do. You may take him home.” A nurse lowered the tiny...