December 1, 2024

Merry and Bright

This holiday season, gifts are taking on a different shape for me: not objects to be unwrapped, but moments of joy and generosity I wish I could crystallize and keep forever perfectly intact i…

November 1, 2024

In Darkness, Light

There is something hauntingly beautiful about the way the sun has shone so brightly in the days and weeks after Hurricane Milton made landfall right here on Siesta Key on October 9. Hearing bi…

October 1, 2024

The Ten Days That Changed Everything

Reports of what was then potential Tropical Cyclone Nine were first announced on September 17, and in the ten days that followed, that cyclone formed into Hurricane Helene and cut a path of de…

September 1, 2024

Lessons from a Slalom Ski: Falling and Getting Back Up

When I was a little girl, my father bought a used speedboat, and our family spent many summer days water skiing at the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri. If you’ve ever water skied…

July 1, 2024

Help for a Rainy Day

With the official start of summer, headlines abound with warnings of an especially active hurricane season, leaving many in our community bracing for uncertainty in the coming months. We ent…

June 1, 2024

Insights About Our Local Nonprofit Sector

While the 2024 Giving Challenge is behind us, the outpouring of support for nonprofits during that 24-hour online giving event still feels so compelling. Clearly, our community believes in the…

May 1, 2024

Numbers

One of the great joys and excitements of the Giving Challenge is the numbers. The ticker rapidly rolls for 24 hours, a mesmerizing sight. Many people find themselves fixated by the leaderboard…

April 1, 2024

The Power of One

Many of us can look back and recall a person that had an enormous impact on our life. These special people may have been ordinary in many ways, but their kindness and generosity at a time when…