How often do you think about your closest friend? The one who knows your secrets? The who drives you bonkers sometimes? The one you drive bonkers sometimes?

Well, in this episode, I tell the story of my relationship with my best brother-buddy Doug - the joy, the pain, the irreverence, the quirks, the annoyance, the poignance, the truth - the love.

At just under fifteen minutes, it’s an easy listen. I hope you’ll listen.

In the spring of 2010 I was coming out of a dark time, with drug addiction, and an arrest. As part of my first-time offender ‘avoid jail’ program (for which I was very grateful,) I was required to write a two-page, double-spaced essay of ‘How My Arrest Affected My Family and Me.’ So, I began writing about my journey with drugs and completed twenty-two, single-spaced pages. And I wasn't finished. Not even close. I was past the deadline, but my case manager granted me an extension because she said she'd never read anything like it.

But then my Uncle Ken died. He meant the world to me. And I felt called to write about him. Because my arrest caused me to stop, to really look at myself. And allowed me to be present, and feel love once again.

It was an honor to write it. It is an honor to share it with you.

These are my recollections of my Uncle Ken.

(Fyi, my case manager cried when she read it... and passed me with flying colors.)

Spring has sprung!

It’s time for bunnies!

Well, one bunny in particular.

Bunny Gregory.

Amazing artist

Inspiring woman

Wisdom for the ages

As adorable as her name.

We chat. We go there.

To the truth

To the darkness

To the light

To creativity

To inspiration

To love.

I hope you’ll join us.

There’s a rocking chair right here with your name on it.

More info about Bunny Gregory:

https://www.artsimpactclt.org/directory-profiles/bunny-gregory

More info about MyLoan Dinh:

https://www.myloandinh.com/

We did it! Stories to Tell is live! Yippy!

In this inaugural episode, I chat with my good buddy Marc Cordon about the origins and essence of the podcast, share a few laughs, tell a couple of stories and set the stage for what’s to come in the time ahead.

I believe that stories are the threads of the tapestry of life. And how we choose to weave them is up to us. And that when we turn the lens we’ve viewed them through just slightly, we can see them more fully and clearly - to be able to share them in their fullest truth. Always grounded in truth.

I am so glad you’re here to share them with me!

For more information on the folks mentioned in this episode, check out these links:

· Stories to Tell artwork - Dwayne Adams, watercolorist (and my brother-in law!): adams-art.com

· Stories to Tell music - Craig Toungate (my other brother-in-law!): lincolntoungate.com

· ‘One Mississippi’ - Tig Notaro’s awesome two-season series on Netflix (one of my most favorite shows - it inspired me to create the podcast)

· Marc Cordon – podcast consultant and coach: marc@marccordon.com

Thanks so much for listening to Stories to Tell!