If you’ve been a reader for a while, you already know Janet, Dale, and John. But in case you’re newer here, they were my grandparents. They passed away in their 60s before enjoying the late-life retirement and old age we’re often told to look forward to when we’re younger. And they’re the reason this newsletter exists.

In the first phase of TIME INTENTIONAL, I told stories about each of them sporadically, as it felt relevant to the week’s lessons or to an idea I shared. What I realized during the break is that most of their presence was in the origin story, as something to reference at the beginning and to revisit occasionally when it felt relevant. The break allowed me to think about how I want to honor them more consistently. 

I landed on a new format that’s quite special and sweet, and even though you might stumble upon newsletters that share similar content (inspiring intentional living, reflections about time and how we spend it, stories on grief and meaning, etc.), I am confident you can’t find another newsletter exactly like this one. 

Moving forward, every issue of TIME INTENTIONAL will have three sections, each named for one of my grandparents and the memories I have of them:

My grandma Janet was a maker, a memory keeper, and someone who wrote down just about everything. She ran an in-home daycare when we were growing up, and she always ensured that we scheduled craft time (with heaping piles of craft supplies from Michael’s). She loved scrapbooks. And she was the type of person who wrote the date and people’s names on the backs of photos and detailed recipes on scraps of paper that now live inside cookbooks in my kitchen. I tend to believe much of my creativity as an adult is due in part to the environments she created. 

So, in honor of her making, memory-keeping, and pen-to-paper tendencies,  Dear Janet is where I’ll write each week’s reflection (think, similar to previous essays, but with the intent to shorten them). One idea, story, or thing I’ve been sitting with in a short reflection format.

My grandpa, Dale, was my favorite troublemaker. In addition to all the time spent crafting and creating, my room at my grandparents’ house functioned like a well-run classroom. I remember a giant white bookshelf, my Highlights subscription, several of those fun school subject workbooks many (okay, just me?) of us loved as kids, and a whiteboard on the wall so I could “teach the class.” I loved playing school. My grandma was a relatively good student, but my grandpa was always the bad student who never finished his homework because he was a class clown. He was notorious for flashing a grin and sprinting out of the classroom to avoid consequences.

In honor of his often unfinished business, Dale’s Unfinished Homework will be a curated links section — books, articles, podcasts, and other things worth your time that week. Things that made me think, shifted my perspective, or felt worth passing along. This will replace the previous “Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup,” and subsequent intentional journaling prompts. 

My Papa John was a camper, a fisherman, and a cowboy. I carry lasting fond memories of our camping trips, roadtrips, and hours spent casting lines and hoping for a big catch. I attribute my current-day desire to spend time outdoors to him and my Grammy. And one lesser-known trait I loved about him was that he frequently shared deep life wisdom in casual conversation, without realizing how impactful it was. 

When I think about campfire conversations in movies, people always share raw truths, vulnerabilities, and confessions worth marinating over, leading to silent stares into the flames. So, in Around John’s Campfire, I’m going to share a quote or passage that I loved (maybe even with some deep life wisdom!). I’m reading so many wonderful books and stories related to TIME INTENTIONAL topics, and this will be the space for me to share them with you without a lengthy book review.

In a perfect world, there might even be a consistent theme across all three sections, but give me some grace here; some weeks, the thread might be loose. And I might sneak in some additional fun, like giveaways and such.

What I can pinky promise you is that every issue will continue to support the TIME INTENTIONAL philosophy, and I’ll continue writing about several of the topics you’ve come here for: living intentionally and building a meaningful life within the constraints and circumstances of the life you have here and now. 

Thank you for supporting me in honoring my grandparents and sharing my heartfelt ideas along the way. The first new issue lands next Sunday!