Adventures with Sarah and Al

"Love that dog, like a bird loves to fly, I said. Love that dog, like a bird loves to fly." — Love That Dog, Sharon Creech 1. Introduction – When Life Hands You a Risk in Fur Form Photo Credit: Boojie Bear Studios This past summer, the boys and I snuck off to surprise my sister for her graduation. Al stayed back in Puerto Rico, holding down the fort—his days a mix of side hustles, refereeing, and evenings that were just too quiet. And then one ordinary dog walk turned into anything but. One of the dogs he was walking froze beside a parked car and wouldn’t budge. Al leaned down to see what had spooked him and there it was—a tiny puppy, curled into himself like he was trying to disappear. When Al peered under the car to see what caught the dog's attention, a little puppy ran cautiously toward him. Carefully Al took him home and gave him a little love, a little food, and a little water. By the time my phone buzzed that night, the message was short and to the point: “Emergenc...

A few weeks ago, a friend told us about a neighborhood event at the local church — face paint, bounce houses, and free food. So after church, we went. It was pure fun. We ate way too many hot dogs, got our faces painted, and bounced ourselves silly. E cried at the clowns while H proudly declared his love for payasos. But when I asked our four-year-old what his favorite part was, he didn’t say “bounce house” or “piragua.” He smiled and said: “Throwing petals at each other under the Pomarosa tree.” Honestly? I agree. There was something magical about that simple moment—petals in our hair, sunlight filtering through the leaves. As Al said, it felt like a fairy barbershop. “There is magic in the ordinary, magic that has the power to change the world.” — T.J. Klune No plane tickets. No big plans. Just petals, sunlight, and a tree. This moment made me realize how much magic we can find in everyday life -- through what I like to call micro-adventures 1. Rediscovering Adventure in the Everyda...