Or what if it is?

I am grasping at how Australia felt like community with its free botanic gardens, museums, swimming pools, telephone booths, and streets with crowded places that felt safe after dark.

As I neared the 40 milestone, I only wanted to be excited for it. I wanted to rebel against a former version of myself that never wanted to be 40 because I thought it meant something different than it does.

My thumb stopped scrolling on Instagram this morning when a photo appeared of a friend with her dad, the two of them smiling for a sitting-on-the-couch selfie and words about how she will miss him, his French toast, and other wonderful qualities he possessed. She said he passed away yesterday. I don’t know exactly what she is feeling and experiencing right now, and yet, I do know some things. Here are my thoughts on grief and finding hearts after sharing my 1,900th post on Hunting for Hearts.