Columns

Adapting to a Season of Change

Around the corner from my house there’s a shopping mall that’s stood as an iconic symbol of my small hometown for decades. It’s across the street from the high school my sister and brother-in-law went to, and it’s also situated near my go-to Barnes & Noble store, as…

In Defense of Cybernetics

If you’re a member of the SMA News Today Forums, you might know that I trialed the JACO robotic arm a few months ago. When I heard that Numotion was servicing my area of the U.S., I decided to give it a shot. Why not, right? I’m already…

Learning to Celebrate Life in New Ways

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one: I will be turning 30 at the end of the month. To keep my columns professional, I used a period for that previous sentence. But please know there were many exclamation points swirling around my brain. This milestone birthday is…

Dreams of a White Picket Fence

When I began daydreaming about the kind of house my husband, Randy, and I would someday own, my vision included a big covered porch with a swing, a roomy yard with lots of trees, and a white picket fence. Gloria, our realtor in Fort Worth, Texas, had…

A Spontaneous Adventure

As my 27th birthday approaches later this month, I recognize that this year will be vastly different from past celebrations. With the current global health crisis, many of us SMAers are spending a lot of time in isolation. Though I’m able to go to certain outdoor restaurants with…

The Evrysdi Chronicles: Waiting for a Diagnosis

Let me set the scene. It’s 9 a.m. I’ve been awake since 6. My poor, sweet dad has been up since 5:30. We’ve been preparing for this gut punch of a medical appointment for weeks, but even so, neither of us are particularly thrilled with our lives right now.

The Crackling Intimacy of an Autumn Campfire

Come, sit beside me at my campfire.  How about some apple cider or hot cocoa on this crisp autumn night? It’ll warm your bones. Help yourself to a s’more. I haven’t yet figured out a pumpkin spice recipe, but my maple version is some kind of dynamite. Would you…