Today my parents are celebrating 60 years of marriage. A whole lifetime, as my mom says.

Tomorrow we’re all getting together for lunch—just them, their two kids, and their two grandkids.

Yesterday, August 15th, marked exactly 16 years since I quit smoking. It was the easiest decision of my life, yet the hardest one to actually pull off.

The times that followed were an absolute nightmare. Anxiety shattered everything, and I even started having physical symptoms that messed with my vision. I had to go on meds just to keep the anxiety in check; my emotional fragility was completely off the charts.