Airports are very special places.

My new path has taken me to many terminals, and they all have one thing in common. Among the Chili's Express and the souvenir shops sits something I've never noticed. A powerful energy exists within these hubs that is unmatched anywhere in the world. I've spent so much time rushing through these spaces that I never caught it before. Now with much of my week measured in layovers, I feel overwhelmed by it.


Perhaps you're like me and in a hurry to get to where you're going. Or maybe you are a people watcher and devote your time to guessing what destination lies in store for each traveler. It’s possible you maintain the same view everywhere you go. To sit in an airport with your headphones on and your forehead permanently tilted toward a screen is a great disservice to yourself. You are missing out on a genuine human
experience.

Take the headphones off. Slow down. Stop guessing. Just sit. Feel. Listen.

In what other place can you find so...

Some of my favorite memories take place around the family dining room table.

It is important to note that I come from a home that had all girls. We were three rambunctious young ladies raised by one amazing little woman. I donʼt mean that in a degrading way. My mom is actually little; sheʼs 5ʼ3.

Each person who has ever joined us at this dinner table could tell you the same thing: it gets loud. Thatʼs the thing about raising three strong, opinionated daughters, they have strong opinions each as urgent as the next and all spoken at deafening volumes. There is only one way to survive an environment like that and it is through humor. My mom was never short on her ability to bring a little laughter to the table. We would spend the evening eating and yelling and laughing and giving each other a hard time and if the meal was right, eating again!

I love thinking back on these nights when it was just the four of us and the rest of the world seemed to be quieted...