We were doing something as ordinary as a grocery run at Meijer when this whole root beer adventure started. My family was grabbing the usual staples when I remembered that my niece—visiting from Portugal—loves root beer. She doesn’t have easy access to it over there, so I wanted to make a batch while she was here. I decided to sweeten it with maple syrup. Maple syrup digests more slowly than refined sugar and brings along trace minerals, and it also layers in a deeper flavor.

My seven-year-old son is pictured here starting our first campfire of the season—with a magnesium and flint striker. Yes, I let him do it. And yes, my son can be impulsive. So the obvious question follows: why would I hand something dangerous to a child who doesn’t always think before he acts? Shouldn’t I protect him from that? Shouldn’t I step in, control the risk, and keep him safe from himself? That instinct—to remove danger, to minimize risk, to protect at all costs—is co

I’ve been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and it truly is a beautifully written book. Kimmerer offers a deeply reflective look into her worldview and her relationship with nature, beginning with her people’s creation story—a narrative rooted in connection, reciprocity, and belonging. She makes a compelling point: stories shape how we relate to the world. When a creation story emphasizes kinship with the earth, people are more likely to live in harmony with