Columns

I got home from work the other day and caught a glimpse of a relic on our television set: a 5 p.m. local newscast. Stranger still, my wife, Jill, was actually leaning forward and watching it. On the newscast, some government officials were criticizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI,…

October feels like a month that breathes differently. The air turns cooler, the light softens, and the energy shifts from summer’s urgency to something gentler. Trees let go of their leaves without hurry, the days shorten, and a stillness settles in. For me, living with Huntington’s disease, that stillness…

Huntington’s disease (HD) has cast a long shadow over my wife Jill’s family tree. When she was diagnosed in 2018, we knew we’d be fighting the same enemy that had taken her father and many other relatives on his side of the family. Today, we focus on what gives…

Some days, the world feels too far away, too cold, or simply too heavy to face. With Huntington’s disease, those days come more often than they used to. Sometimes it’s because my balance feels off, and icy sidewalks feel risky. Other times, my movements are unpredictable, and I’m not…

When I received my wife’s recent text, which she wrote in all caps — something she’s morally opposed to — the room seemed to tilt. I felt like dancing like a fool while laughing and crying at the same time. Jill had included a link with the following headline: …

On September 2, the Huntington’s disease community lost one of its brightest lights: Carlos Contreras. Born on May 22, 1976, Carlos’ journey was filled with joy, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to love. His life reminds us that even in the face of a devastating disease, it is…

A quiet evening at home recently threw me for a loop. My wife, Jill, and I were relaxing in our living room, watching a reality TV show, when one of the cast members used the term “woke” to insult someone. Without missing a beat, Jill looked at me with genuine…

When the first cool breeze arrives amid the fading hours of daylight, I feel a pull toward home. Fall invites me to create a space that’s not only beautiful but safe, comforting, and easy to move through — a home that feels like a soft blanket at the end of…

When my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease (HD), our world shifted. HD is a cruel, inherited, neurodegenerative illness that affects movement, cognition, and emotions. It’s a diagnosis that forces you to confront life’s fragility head-on. For us, it also became a wake-up call — a chance to…

Some changes arrive quietly, like leaves shifting one shade at a time until the whole tree glows with color. Friendship has been like that for me: not a single dramatic ending or beginning, but a gradual reshaping. One day, I looked back and realized the landscape of my relationships was…