As some of you know, I often write about lessons I learned from my parents, grandparents, mentors, clients, students, and friends. (See the latest – https://wesleyphd.com/sometimes-gifts-come-back-to-us/) I have been incredibly blessed with wise people in my life, and I am deeply grateful for them. But lately I have been thinking about something else. That equation […]
The Other Side of Wisdom Read More »
When I was around eight years old, I saw something at our local J.J. Newberry’s store that I just had to buy for my grandpa. It was a little statue of an old man flexing his muscles with a cape and a giant S on his chest. The inscription read: Grandpa… You’re Super The first
Sometimes gifts come back to us Read More »
One thing about living in Kentucky is learning that nature is always trying to latch onto you. Ticks have been terrible this year because of the warm winter, and I have probably pulled thirty or fortoff me already. Yet as annoying as ticks are, they still do not compare to chiggers. If you have never
What Chiggers Taught Me About Addiction Read More »
Years ago, I worked as a mental health crisis counselor on a mobile crisis team. I loved that job. It was fast-paced, unpredictable, and emotionally intense. Police officers, hospitals, schools, families, and emergency dispatchers would call us when someone was threatening suicide, spiraling into psychosis, or emotionally collapsing in front of the people around them.
I keep thinking about this idea that we are all writing a story. None of us fully controls the opening chapters. Some people begin life surrounded by stability, encouragement, safety, and opportunity. Others begin with chaos, neglect, poverty, addiction, abuse, loss, discrimination, instability, or trauma. Life is not fair in how it distributes suffering. Some
You Still Hold the Pen Read More »
A year ago, I found myself facing one of the great realities of my age. At some point, your Amazon purchase history quietly shifts from gadgets and books to orthopedic inserts, fiber supplements, and the occasional emergency tube of hemorrhoid cream. Pride falls quickly when your internal plumbing declares mutiny. Naturally, I wanted to handle
Preparation H and the Mystery of the Playing Cards Read More »
Dawn and I have recently been falling asleep at night reviewing old episodes of Star Trek on Pluto TV. I love the nostalgia from those old shows I grew up with. I love the music, the corny costumes, the dramatic stories, and the impossible situations that somehow always seemed to land on Captain Kirk’s desk.
Captain Kirk and Impossible Scenarios Read More »
Eighteen years ago today, you were born. It feels impossible to even write that sentence. In my mind, I can still see you as that little boy running through the house, laughing at things only kids find funny, carrying toys in your hands, and excitement in your eyes. Yet here you are, eighteen years old,
A Letter to Landon, on his birthday Read More »
I confess. I did it. Before you judge me too harshly, you need to understand something about me. I need my sleep. I’ve always had a strange relationship with sleep. On one hand, I appreciate it. On the other, I resent it a little. I’ve often done the math: if I live to be 90
Confession of a Sleep-Deprived Man Read More »
We live at the end of a quiet road. Just us, one other property owner, and then the short stretch of the Daniel Boone National Forest rolling into Laurel River Lake. It’s the kind of place where mornings feel older than the calendar. Cold air. Frost on the grass. We love it here. A couple
The Totoro Hat and the Rifle Read More »