Tag Archives: life lessons

My Very Short, Very Incomplete Guide to Healthy Boundaries

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Healthy boundaries are too complicated for a short blog post, but maybe the starting point is simple: treat people well, offer grace, and don’t confuse love with unlimited access. Continue reading →

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Why America Could Use More Respect for Its Elders

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Many cultures do a better job of honoring the elderly than we do. In America, we tend to celebrate youth, speed, and whatever comes with an app. Maybe it’s time we remembered that older people are not outdated software. They’re living libraries. Continue reading →

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The Advice I’m Still Learning to Follow

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

My mother once taught me that the best conversations begin with listening, not waiting for my turn to talk. I have not always followed that advice well, but when I do, I usually know I’m doing the right thing. Continue reading →

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The Mount Rushmore Nobody Else Can See: The People Who Shape a Life

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some people change history in ways the world remembers. Others change our lives in ways only we remember. Maybe the most underrated people in history are the ones carved into someone else’s memory. Continue reading →

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A Toolbox Full of Quotes

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I don’t know that I have one quote I live by. I have more of a rotating collection, depending on what kind of foolishness the day has decided to bring me. Continue reading →

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What I Learned by Running

Posted on April 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some regrets are not about one moment, but about the lesson that moment taught you. One hallway in eighth grade left me learning something I later had to spend years unlearning. Continue reading →

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The Man on the Bicycle

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A broken-down SUV in a rough neighborhood. A stranger on a bicycle. A pocketknife, a scrap of foam, and a repair I never forgot. More than 25 years later, I still wonder whether that moment was ordinary kindness—or something more. Continue reading →

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The Family Gifts That Shaped Me

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Some family members gave me confidence. Others gave me faith, love, joy, and perspective. It’s hard to narrow that down to one person. Continue reading →

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Some Lessons High School Taught Me (A Few of Them the Hard Way)

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

High school taught me a lot, and not all of it came from the front of a classroom. Some lessons were obvious only after the fact. For example: if you struggle with Algebra, signing up for Math Analysis is less … Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: Spring Pour—Rediscovering What Was Already There

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Spring does not always bring something entirely new. Sometimes it simply helps us rediscover something good that had slipped out of sight—much like an overlooked bottle on the back shelf that suddenly reminds us why it belonged there all along. Continue reading →

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