I’m not afraid of heights or rollercoasters, at least, I wasn’t until I rode The Scream at Six Flags with my oldest son. The operators strapped us into seats facing outward with our backs to a tall cylinder tower, and the countdown began. I looked over at my son, smiled, and asked if he was okay, and he nodded. Two seconds later, we shot upward at a force that could have broken the sound barrier.

Mental health emergency room visits and suicide rates are up in young adults during the pandemic, according to the CDC. It grieves my heart to know people feel hopeless, alone, and distanced. They can’t see a future or their purpose when they’re stuck in a holding pattern that feels never-ending. For those of us who’ve been around for a bit, we’ve survived ups and downs before. It’s easier for us to have confidence that the sun will rise and the storm will eventually blow over...

Someone thought a great gift would be a remote-control tarantula for my boys.