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

My wife came up to me and said our son had eaten some old pepperoni and his stomach wasn’t feeling great. I took one look at some of the pepperoni he was eating from and thought, Yeah… that’s not good. This could turn into a long day. I found my son, looked him in the eyes, and told him two things: he wasn’t in trouble, and he didn’t do anything wrong. But he did eat some bad pepperoni, and he might end up getting sick. Then I told him we were going to try a few things to hel

Broadleaf plantain has a long history as a healing plant, once valued for both internal and external use. Today, it’s often dismissed as just another common lawn weed. But that shift says more about modern perception than the plant itself. Plantain is what’s known as a mucilaginous plant, meaning it forms a gel-like substance when combined with liquid. Other well-known mucilaginous plants include aloe vera, psyllium husk, marshmallow root, sassafras leaf, and slippery elm bar