Just shy of one year after our high school graduation, on a chilly Colorado night, a good friend of mine died. A result of either alcohol poisoning or suicide—it was never made clear—Jared drew his last breath after fewer than two decades of life. I have now almost doubled Jared’s brief existence, drawing breaths twice as long as he was able to. Twice as long to breath, twice as many smiles, twice as many laughs, twice as much luck, twice as much love.
Read MoreOnce upon a time, your parents had sex. And good thing too, since it wasn't just any sex—it was the sex that led to you. There was a moment, a fraction of a second, where one single sperm that happened to be the carrier of half your genetic code, beat out, in a photo finish, nearly 300 million competitors. That would be like entering a foot race with the entire population of the United States—and winning.
Read MoreThe human brain weighs as much as six human hearts. But sometimes the heart feels so heavy there might as well be no brain at all.
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