A casual summer trip to a craft shop took an unexpected turn when a simple quote stopped me in my tracks—and delivered a timeless reminder about the enduring power of truth.
The Quiet Power of Truth
An Angel When I Needed It Most
(A version of this story appeared on The Heart of The Matter in November 2023.) The thing I noticed first was his calmness. He wasn’t like the other teachers, coaches, or family friends in my life. He had a soft voice that you sometimes had to strain to hear and he rarely seemed to yell... Continue Reading →
Real Wealth? The True Luxuries of Life
We talk a lot about billionaires and the 1%, but a memory from an old college classroom makes me wonder: Are the world's greatest luxuries already within our grasp?
If there were 100 people in the world?
(A version of this story appeared on September 6, 2023 on The Heart Of The Matter. ) When I was a young kid, I was small for my age. We'd line up at the start of the year, smallest to the tallest, and I would always be one of the shortest boys in my class.... Continue Reading →
Light as a feather
I wasn't looking for hope, but I found it. I was thinking a couple weekends ago about a new adventure that I've found myself on. I was thinking about both rapid and calm waters. Of course, I was in my own head analyzing every action and inaction a million times over. An AI image of... Continue Reading →
A Return to the Movie Theater
A childhood memory of seeing Star Wars in 1977 serves as a reminder of what the movie theater experience used to be—and why great storytelling will always beat empty Hollywood explosions.
The Ireland in My Backyard
I have a lifelong wish to travel to Ireland. But looking out from my deck on a scorching July afternoon, I realized something. I might never set foot on Irish soil, but a piece of that dream has been waiting for me right here in Pennsylvania all along.
Creating on the Fly
(A version of this story first appeared on April 5, 2023 on The Heart of The Matter.) I would sit at the small desk, my back hunched over the best I could manage, and I would write out a sentence or two onto the page. I would stop, look at what I had written, and... Continue Reading →
Becoming My Parents (And Other Simple Pleasures)
I pulled up to the gas station the other day and the sign read $4.19 a gallon. I have to admit, I wasn't sure whether to laugh, cry, or celebrate. The price of gas has been up, it’s been down, and frankly, I never really know what to expect anymore. It seems to fluctuate based... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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