Featured Stories
A simple place to begin.
Not sure where to start? Here we highlight one story to help you ease in.
This Week's Story
Emergency Contact
When we notice something about someone, how do we know what kindness looks like?
Jenny and Georgio retire at fifty-five to an active adult community in Florida, where they meet Tony and Marybeth, an older couple who quickly impress them with their energy and athleticism. Jenny is especially taken with Marybeth, who is stylish, confident, and capable, the kind of woman who makes Jenny think, I want to be her in twenty years. Later, at the pool, Jenny realizes Marybeth's bathing suit is inside out. What first strikes her as funny becomes unexpectedly complicated as she tries to decide whether telling Marybeth would help or embarrass her. Marybeth remains exactly the capable, engaging person Jenny admired before. By the next morning, Jenny still does not know whether she should have said something, but she realizes that noticing the mistake changed something in the way she saw Marybeth, and in how she imagines her own future.
Why this story
Some stories meet you where you are. Others help you notice something you hadn't quite named yet.
This story invites you to consider: As you read, consider what can make a seemingly simple moment harder to navigate than we expect.
Read or listen on your own, with a partner, or with a group of friends. See what stands out. Notice what feels familiar.
What happens after the story
When you finish reading, you'll have the option to stay with it a little longer. You'll see a few simple prompts — nothing heavy, nothing required — just a way to notice what felt familiar, what stood out, or how it connects to your own experience.
- Reflect on your own
- Share it with someone
- Or come back to it later
Every story lands a little differently — a thought, a feeling, a shift in perspective. Whenever you're ready, there's always another one waiting.