The end of the year comes with a certain script.We’re told it’s the season of joy, celebration, gratitude, and togetherness. Streets light up, holiday music plays everywhere you go, and every commercial insists you should be happily baking cookies or exchanging perfectly wrapped gifts with smiling family members. But if you work in healthcare, you know there’s another version of this season—one that rarely makes it into the holiday movies. It’s the time of year when stress le

When I decided to change jobs, I heard the same refrain over and over again: “But that doesn’t sound like you.”“Are you sure this will make you happy?”“You’ve been there so long—why leave now?” People couldn’t understand why I was willing to walk away from a role I had held for years. To them, the job title, the institution, and the stability defined who I was. But what they didn’t see was that I  had changed—quietly, slowly, and steadily—while trying my best to stay loyal to

A recent family trip reminded me that even the best-laid plans—and the clearest visions—don’t always go the way we expect. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. Every year, my daughters, my mom’s best friend (who has long since become an honorary grandmother in our family), and I take an annual amusement park trip. Over the years, we’ve alternated between some of the major theme parks in Florida, collecting memories and laughter along the way. This year started like the