This photograph of a flood-displaced toddler practicing walking was on display in the Hurricane Katrina Foundation in New Orleans, which I recently visited.

One of the perks of being a professional storyteller is that going to the movies is part of the job!

Although I no longer professionally review personal statements for college applications, two young adults whom I hold in high regard asked me to take a look at their essays this year. I was thrilled to. More importantly, I was wowed by their points of view. Seriously WOWED.

As someone who actively blogged for nine years, you’d think this post would be easy to write. In fact, I was so overwhelmed with emotion thinking about the ways it would help people connect with their loved ones that it took me a few drafts to concisely articulate my WHY. Here goes!