Back in 2009, at a crawfish boil, I found a blue crawfish in a sack and saved it from being consumed. I kept him, named him Topher, and he became my pet for about two years. I started imagining a story for this special crustacean, but it lived only in my head. Now, almost two decades later, that story is finally coming to life. It’s strange how some things stay with you—quietly waiting for their time to emerge, ready to come out of their shell. I’m excited not only to share t

Last year was all about shedding, healing, and rebirth . In 2026, it’s time to move forward with this new version of yourself . It may be uncomfortable, but the energy of this year is Truth Over Comfort. The Lunar New Year zodiac pairs an animal archetype with an element. The Horse  symbolizes movement, freedom, and forward motion. When combined with the element of fire, it becomes transformative—embodying rebirth and renewal, passion and illumination, and bold, untamed mom

“Sweet Dreams,” the haunting song by Eurythmics, was released on January 21, 1983—also Mac’s birthday. The song offers a cynical reflection on the pursuit of dreams while surviving in a world that is lonely and filled with unhealthy relationships. The lyrics, “I travel the world and the seven seas, everybody’s looking for something,”  pose an existential question: Is the chase worth it? In Chapter Eight, when Meredith is chatting with Michelle, we discover that Mac has been t