On one of the most important nights of my career, the night of the WNBA draft, I wasn't able to have your mom standing by my side. I called her when I was in the green room, when I finally got a moment to sneak away, and she was so excited for me. She's screaming on the phone, like, 'LET'S GOOOOO!!!' She had already been a part of so many highs and lows. She understood how much this meant to me.
I had lost my father just a few weeks prior, and the brain fog was real and persistent, so moments like these that managed to pierce through felt even more profound. As we were setting sail from Lisbon, I ate a pastel de nata, the ubiquitous egg custard tart, with pastry so crisp and flaky I could hear it crackle over the sound of the waves-and it filled me with delight.
The Stasi, the secret police, were legendary for their data files. Their work was based on instilling fear, and they induced stunningly amazing numbers of East Germans into informing on their neighbors. Something along the lines of 1 in 6 East Germans were informants, whether out of fear or out of approval of what the East German government was doing.
The Stasi, the secret police, were legendary for their data files. Their work was based on instilling fear, and they induced stunningly amazing numbers of East Germans into informing on their neighbors. Something along the lines of 1 in 6 East Germans were informants, whether out of fear or out of approval of what the East German government was doing.
I noticed this shift in my own life when I started having dinner with my partner most nights, phones deliberately tucked away in another room. We made this change after too many evenings disappeared into "just checking one thing" that turned into hours of parallel scrolling. The difference was immediate and profound. Conversations went deeper. We actually looked at each other. Time seemed to stretch in the best possible way.
Part of the answer lies in the visceral nature of the game. Unlike chess, football is physical to the point of absurdity. Grown adults in body armor crash into each other over what is essentially a leather egg. There's drama in every play. You don't need a PhD in physics to appreciate a one-handed catch while somersaulting over a defender like a caffeinated acrobat.
Gifting is a science, some might even call it an art. Knowing the receiver of your affection is the first step to successful gifting, and knowing what you'd like to say with your gift adds yet another layer of complexity. Keep the process simple with these ten design-forward picks from us at Design Milk, perfect for that special someone - romantic or otherwise.
Remember when Friday nights meant figuring out which party to hit first? Now, I get genuinely thrilled about having zero plans and a new documentary queued up. Last week, I actually canceled drinks to stay home and organize my spice drawer, and the weirdest part? I felt zero FOMO! If you've ever caught yourself getting excited about a new vacuum cleaner or spending Saturday night researching the best mattress for back support, congratulations! You're officially entering that phase of life where "boring" isn't boring anymore.
Younger people definitely laugh (even lightheartedly!) at the things older people tend to do, like napping, playing bingo, or eating dinner early. But recently, the BuzzFeed Community wrote in to share the "old person" habits they've adopted that actually make life way better - and it got such a great response that even more people shared habits of their own! So, from young and old alike, here are some "old person" habits that you might consider adopting for yourself:
When the world feels chaotic-when grief, uncertainty, or heaviness settles into your body-gratitude can feel distant. Yet these are often the very moments when giving thanks becomes a steadying force. Naming what we're grateful for can't erase hardship, but it can anchor us. It reminds us what is good and what is possible, even in the hardest seasons. Gratitude, from the Latin gratus-thankful, pleasing-is a multidimensional experience.
It was his aside that spoiled the secret identity of Santa Claus; he who laughingly revealed the mechanics of sex; he who gave me my first sip of beer. Yet, when he found out I was sneaking cigarettes from my dad's stale dinner party supply, he chastised me before either of my parents could, and when my mum was diagnosed with cancer and I was just 15, he was already a 22-year-old medical student.
I remember the moment this photo was taken: five years ago, on my partner Claire's birthday, in a National Trust for Scotland garden six miles east of Edinburgh. We were standing on a wooden deck, an ideal spot for pond-dipping with the kids and a lesser-known viewing platform for trainspotters. This is where my autistic son, then six, loved (and still loves) to jump in tandem with the ScotRail trains toggling back and forth in the middle distance.
A Melissa & Doug ice cream counter for fueling their sessions of make-believe with tons of sweet, stackable flavors, a menu, and - yes - even fake money, because even pretend ice cream comes at a price they simply loovveee charging you. The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, a cup, a scooper, tongs, a wooden spoon, a reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills.
You didn't just lose a husband-you also folded yourself into his family's grief and stood beside them through their darkest moments. Those ties don't simply disappear because life moves forward. Knowing that firsthand, I want to acknowledge the very human dilemma you are facing. You're balancing loyalty to someone who has been family for a long time with the commitment you are now making to a new partner. These are not simple emotional shifts. They require courage, clarity, empathy, and a whole lot of heart.
I was thirty-eight years old the first time I stopped performing at Chinese New Year dinner. Not dramatically-I didn't stand up and deliver a monologue about authenticity or announce that I was done pretending. I just stopped smiling when I wasn't amused. I stopped nodding when I disagreed. I stopped telling my aunt that her unsolicited career advice was helpful when it wasn't. I stopped pretending that the version of me sitting at that table was the real one.
