Fracturing a hip was not part of Mary Shertenlieb’s summer plan, especially with a son to drop off at college in Colorado. But as she recovered at home, a pair of birds reminded her that all would be well.

The play “Every Brilliant Thing” is about a man who keeps a list of the things that make life worth living, as a way of coping with the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty of life. Cog was inspired by the play, and asked our readers to share the little things that bring them joy.

Fracturing a hip was not part of Mary Shertenlieb’s summer plan, especially with a son to drop off at college in Colorado. But as she recovered at home, a pair of birds reminded her that all would be well.

The play “Every Brilliant Thing” is about a man who keeps a list of the things that make life worth living, as a way of coping with the inherent ambiguity and uncertainty of life. Cog was inspired by the play, and asked our readers to share the little things that bring them joy.

As the Massachusetts Legislature moves an important healthcare worker protection bill into a conference committee, they "are on the precipice of committing a grave injustice against our state's most vulnerable citizens," write Susan Senator and Maura Sullivan. "By extending the scope of criminal assault provisions to residential group homes, the legislature risks criminalizing disability itself."

"To be sure, some cases are clear-cut harassment in which a judge rightly and immediately issues [a harassment] order," write Seth Izen and Andrea DeMayo. "But in many other cases, families and youth are best served by a chance to sit down together. They’re best served by developing a plan that meets two important needs: safety and peace of mind."

As the Massachusetts Legislature moves an important healthcare worker protection bill into a conference committee, they "are on the precipice of committing a grave injustice against our state's most vulnerable citizens," write Susan Senator and Maura Sullivan. "By extending the scope of criminal assault provisions to residential group homes, the legislature risks criminalizing disability itself."

"Homesharing is not elder care, and a spare bedroom is not an affordable housing strategy," writes James Lomastro. Still, Massachusetts has good reason to test the homesharing model that has worked well elsewhere.

"Without Jo van Gogh, there would be no Vincent van Gogh posters in dorm rooms, no sunflowers on tote bags and cat collars, no immersive experiences in converted warehouses in every mid-sized city in America," writes Jo Piazza. "Her story matters because she’s just one of many women written out of the historical narrative."

In response to tech leaders' recent warnings about the speed at which AI is progressing, Joanna Weiss took pen to paper to appeal to the bots, from a human perspective, before things get too out of hand.

"Without Jo van Gogh, there would be no Vincent van Gogh posters in dorm rooms, no sunflowers on tote bags and cat collars, no immersive experiences in converted warehouses in every mid-sized city in America," writes Jo Piazza. "Her story matters because she’s just one of many women written out of the historical narrative."

"To be sure, some cases are clear-cut harassment in which a judge rightly and immediately issues [a harassment] order," write Seth Izen and Andrea DeMayo. "But in many other cases, families and youth are best served by a chance to sit down together. They’re best served by developing a plan that meets two important needs: safety and peace of mind."

"Homesharing is not elder care, and a spare bedroom is not an affordable housing strategy," writes James Lomastro. Still, Massachusetts has good reason to test the homesharing model that has worked well elsewhere.

In response to tech leaders' recent warnings about the speed at which AI is progressing, Joanna Weiss took pen to paper to appeal to the bots, from a human perspective, before things get too out of hand.

Three months after her son was born, Claudette Mestayer's postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder turned into psychosis. Mestayer hopes, that by sharing her story, she can help to remove the stigma of postpartum mental health challenges, and help other women find treatment and recover.

“It is a strange thing to arrive at your own life in the middle of a national grief,” writes Dimitrios Aletras, Jr. “The city was jumpy and the news was apocalyptic, and alongside all of it I was quietly, secretly hopeful, because for the first time I was somewhere big enough to become someone.”

In the aftermath of September 11, the New York Times published “Portraits of Grief,” a series of more than 2,300 obituaries of the victims of the terrorist attacks. Sam Roberts, an obituarist for the Times, explains how the series helped a nation grieve.

WBUR's On Point was created in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Karen Shiffman -- who went on to be that show's executive producer -- was accustomed to the fast-paced work of journalism: book, produce, move on. Then she met Cindy McGinty, who lost her husband Mike on 9/11. The two women forged a friendship that endures to this day.

Three months after her son was born, Claudette Mestayer's postpartum obsessive-compulsive disorder turned into psychosis. Mestayer hopes, that by sharing her story, she can help to remove the stigma of postpartum mental health challenges, and help other women find treatment and recover.

"Most redistricting coverage, and most of my own scholarship, is about lines drawn unfairly before an election — packing, shattering, diluting a community's voice ahead of time," writes Donathan Brown. What happened after SCOTUS ruled in Louisiana v. Callais is different. "Lines were changed during an election, after voters had already acted on the ones in place."

“It is a strange thing to arrive at your own life in the middle of a national grief,” writes Dimitrios Aletras, Jr. “The city was jumpy and the news was apocalyptic, and alongside all of it I was quietly, secretly hopeful, because for the first time I was somewhere big enough to become someone.”

WBUR's On Point was created in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. Karen Shiffman -- who went on to be that show's executive producer -- was accustomed to the fast-paced work of journalism: book, produce, move on. Then she met Cindy McGinty, who lost her husband Mike on 9/11. The two women forged a friendship that endures to this day.

In the aftermath of September 11, the New York Times published “Portraits of Grief,” a series of more than 2,300 obituaries of the victims of the terrorist attacks. Sam Roberts, an obituarist for the Times, explains how the series helped a nation grieve.

"Better coordination may not prevent every tragedy, but in high-risk care it is essential," writes Lauren Hajjar. "A collection of services is not the same as a system of care, and a person in crisis should not be responsible for connecting the pieces."

Strolling among the 100 elephants of The Great Migration exhibit meant joining a human crowd also strolling among the elephants. It reminded Elissa Ely of how isolated we humans have become.

Cog editor Kate Neale Cooper suspects the over-the-top dorm rooms all over social media are one way of dealing with over-the-top emotions. "We can’t control our kids, but we can control the color scheme of their room," she writes. "The thickness of their rug pad. The opacity of the blackout shade that covers their window."

"Better coordination may not prevent every tragedy, but in high-risk care it is essential," writes Lauren Hajjar. "A collection of services is not the same as a system of care, and a person in crisis should not be responsible for connecting the pieces."

"Most redistricting coverage, and most of my own scholarship, is about lines drawn unfairly before an election — packing, shattering, diluting a community's voice ahead of time," writes Donathan Brown. What happened after SCOTUS ruled in Louisiana v. Callais is different. "Lines were changed during an election, after voters had already acted on the ones in place."

"As an aspiring female journalist, I saw Gloria Steinem point the way," writes Pulitzer winner Eileen McNamara. "I didn’t have to write for 'the women’s pages.' I could ask out loud why there even was such a section in the newspaper!"

Strolling among the 100 elephants of The Great Migration exhibit meant joining a human crowd also strolling among the elephants. It reminded Elissa Ely of how isolated we humans have become.

The WNBA -- the most successful women’s pro sports league ever -- is full of Black women, many of whom are also queer. That seems to be intolerable for a certain segment of society, writes Khari Thompson.

Traveling is about exploring the wonders of new places and relaxing, often in spite of traffic, flight delays and botched plans. "But another compelling reason to travel is to learn how to enjoy those liminal spaces where we might have unexpected hours alone or encounter new people," writes Holly Robinson.

“The trick was in learning that it’s never about where I am, but about how much I’m willing to embrace who I am, and what I can represent,” writes Xinyi "Mel" Song. “Cities cannot be moved, but people can choose to build our community, and culture is always a movable feast.”

"Dolly taught me that loving makeup and clothes and shoes and jewelry was okay — that I could be smart and creative and like the color pink," writes Heather Hach. "Being a buxom blonde and having writing chops aren't mutually exclusive."

Traveling is about exploring the wonders of new places and relaxing, often in spite of traffic, flight delays and botched plans. "But another compelling reason to travel is to learn how to enjoy those liminal spaces where we might have unexpected hours alone or encounter new people," writes Holly Robinson.

In 1999, Alastair Moock's first studio album sat below Dolly Parton's 37th, "The Grass Is Blue," on the Folk Music Chart. Until then, Moock hadn't grasped Parton's appeal. By the early 2000s, he was all-in on Parton as a master storyteller, musician, businesswoman, advocate and philanthropist.

“The trick was in learning that it’s never about where I am, but about how much I’m willing to embrace who I am, and what I can represent,” writes Xinyi "Mel" Song. “Cities cannot be moved, but people can choose to build our community, and culture is always a movable feast.”

"Dolly taught me that loving makeup and clothes and shoes and jewelry was okay — that I could be smart and creative and like the color pink," writes Heather Hach. "Being a buxom blonde and having writing chops aren't mutually exclusive."

"Instead of ensuring our troops had enough food, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth focused on their testosterone levels," writes Laura McTaggart. "When asked about shortages, he didn’t express concern or take responsibility — he claimed conditions on the ship were 'completely misrepresented.' He’s the living embodiment of dereliction of duty."

“Grief is unpredictable and everlasting," writes Paul Kidwell, who lost his wife to complications from Parkinson's and dementia in 2025. “But my grief was no match for the collective hearts of 70 wise-beyond-their-years young women, who unknowingly helped me rebuild my life.”

"At age 67, I didn’t suddenly wake up in the morning and say, ‘I want to donate a kidney,'” writes Rich Barlow. Yet his decision to offer his organ took only a week or so. "Concern for a friend motivated me, of course. So did my Catholicism, starting with the Golden Rule."

Like millions of other people from all over the world, Aimee Seiff Christian was captivated by the Big Bear Valley eagle nest livestream starring Jackie, Shadow and their eaglets. "Over the next eight months, I learned more about parenting and partnership — from a pair of birds — than I thought possible," she writes.

“When I get into conversations about communal living — especially in this era, when the number of Americans living alone has risen to almost 30% — people often say what I spent years feeling: They want close and regular connection, but they don’t know how to achieve it,” writes Samantha Paige Rosen.

“Electric vehicle owners create a real problem for transportation finance,” write Christopher Knittel and Gilbert E. Metcalf. “Because they do not buy gasoline, they do not pay gasoline taxes, which have long helped fund the Highway Trust Fund." So, as electric vehicles become more common that revenue base will continue to erode.

"At age 67, I didn’t suddenly wake up in the morning and say, ‘I want to donate a kidney,'” writes Rich Barlow. Yet his decision to offer his organ took only a week or so. "Concern for a friend motivated me, of course. So did my Catholicism, starting with the Golden Rule."

“The unbearable devastation of someone most of us have never known and will never meet is not for our eyes, nor is what will happen next,” writes Elissa Ely.

As a high school teacher, Mike Kalin sympathizes with the concerns about AI. But a series of medical episodes left the 43-year-old with memory loss. "I have trouble recollecting names, dates, places, events, schedules and other information that can adversely affect my personal and professional relationships," he writes. "A host of AI tools help me compensate for these deficits."

“When I get into conversations about communal living — especially in this era, when the number of Americans living alone has risen to almost 30% — people often say what I spent years feeling: They want close and regular connection, but they don’t know how to achieve it,” writes Samantha Paige Rosen.

“The unbearable devastation of someone most of us have never known and will never meet is not for our eyes, nor is what will happen next,” writes Elissa Ely.