I have known deep pain in my life and I’ve known deep joy. I’ve lived through enough of both to know the two aren’t mutually exclusive, they are companions. Some of the greatest joys and miraculous gifts life has to offer come on an express train from the most painful or unexpected experiences.

In early 2015 I quit social media and didn’t return for over two years. I researched enough in those two years to know, in a culture of people who have never had more ways to “connect”, we feel more alone than ever. So I returned with a wide open heart and a P.O. Box, inviting anyone to become my pen pal.

The response was overwhelming and made me realize that, when we write our stories down and speak them out into the air, we feel less alone and we heal a little bit more. So now I tell stories and listen, and share stories from others on the dear somebody podcast (click here to listen) so we can all be reminded that we belong here, and we aren’t alone.