iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Cricket occasionally turns into a tiny solar-powered dinosaur. Fluffed feathers. Beak open. Completely silent. It’s called sunning, and it’s a normal bird behavior that helps with feather maintenance, temperature regulation, and parasite control. Still looks weird every single time. ☀️🖤

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Ophelia tried to sit in Cu’s car seat. Cu is a Chihuahua. Since she clearly has some size perception issues, we took her to the pet store and let her pick out her own bed instead. Tell me she’s not smiling. 🥹🐾 #NeverFingSettle

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I’ve expanded the home rehabilitation program to include tiny flying tenants. I made a bee/bug house using cardboard tubes, dried flowers, twine, seed pods, and little treasures I already had around the house. Now we wait to see who moves in. Rent is free, but pollination is strongly encouraged. 🐝

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Being a therapist means loving humanity deeply while regularly begging it to use one single coping skill. 🤣 #therapistlife #mentalhealthhumor #neverfingsettle

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I texted Melissa crying and told her I was struggling, and she dropped everything and made arrangements to see me this weekend. I swear friendship and fresh air can’t fix everything, but they can make it feel possible to keep going. And sometimes, that is everything. 💛

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Pinehurst Trail was absolutely beautiful. A tree canopy kept the Florida sun at bay, and my hiking pole made it possible, even with a few rest breaks along the way. Recovery looks different these days, but it still gets me into places like this. Tiny mushrooms, big laughs, great company.

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Every weeknight you’ll find us gathered around the TV for our family ritual: Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, confidently yelling answers that are… occasionally correct. 😂 Family isn’t just about titles. It’s about showing up. I’m incredibly grateful for the people who keep choosing us.

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One of the healthiest things we can say is, “I still have blind spots.” We all inherit biases from the world around us. Growth isn’t pretending we’re beyond them. It’s being willing to examine them with humility, curiosity, and accountability. Keep learning. #NeverFingSettle #AntiRacism

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Showed up at the Palm Beach County Courthouse this week because democracy only works if people participate. The heat was too much for me to wear my keffiyeh, so Ophelia proudly wore it instead. My Palestinian friends dubbed her the “activist dog,” and I think the title fits. ❤️🐾 #NeverFingSettle

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Loving your country has never meant pretending it’s beyond criticism. Patriotism isn’t blind loyalty. I’ll keep doing the work, in my therapy office, in my community, and in my everyday life, to help build the kind of country worth celebrating. Hope is an act of resistance. Happy Fourth. ❤️🤍💙

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Watching your adult daughter wrestle with your husband is of the greatest gifts in my life is that they genuinely love each other. There was never any expectation that Ro had to become “Dad.” He simply kept showing up. Year after year. Joke after joke. Wrestling match after wrestling match.

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Never Finished, a book recommended to me by Will. Because sometimes the lesson isn’t “push harder.” Sometimes the lesson is simply: keep going.

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Ro taught Cricket to play fetch. I’m not exaggerating. It took less than ten minutes. He tossed a crumpled receipt. She chased it. Picked it up. Brought it back. Then stared at him like, “Again.” At this point, Cricket has gone from wildlife rehabilitation to full family participation.

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Bean gave me matching tattoos for Mother’s Day. Not identical. Connected. Our waves meet. Our storms echo each other. Separate stories that fit together when we’re side by side. Honestly, that’s a pretty good metaphor for parenting. #NeverFingSettle #Motherhood #Tattoos

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Ophelia has spent so many years helping me care for people that she now seems convinced everyone is her responsibility.

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I don’t know exactly what her future holds, but I do know she’s here because people cared. And judging by her attitude, Cricket believes she’s living exactly the life she deserves.

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Spent the day at a Juneteenth celebration with Bean. Music, art, history, community, good conversations, and apparently a chicken puppet. A pretty perfect reminder that learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms. It happens when we show up, listen, and connect. 💛 #Juneteenth #neverfingsettle

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Most emotions don’t arrive one at a time. They’re a tangled mess of grief, hope, fear, joy, exhaustion, and love all happening simultaneously. The goal isn’t emotional perfection. It’s learning to recognize what’s there without running from it. #MentalHealth #neverfingsettle

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Hazie came to visit, Nix organized it all like the adult she apparently is now, and we spent hours eating pasta, playing Jeopardy, and talking. I’ve realized I don’t want more acquaintances. I want family-level friendships. Otherwise I’ll just be in the woods with my animals becoming a bog witch.

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One niece. Three nephews. Four children on my lap at once. Apparently I’ve become family furniture. Wouldn’t have it any other way. 💛 #NeverFingSettle #AuntLife 💛

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Human emotions aren’t mutually exclusive. Healing isn’t about feeling one thing at a time. It’s about learning to hold multiple truths at once. 💛 #MentalHealth #Healing #SelfCompassion #NeverFingSettle

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So seizures have entered the chat. *The problem is that capability and sustainability are not the same thing.* My body keeps reminding me that just because I can carry something doesn’t mean I can carry it forever without consequence.

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Back at our weekly food share for the first time since my second stroke and becoming a caregiver for my mother-in-law. I was greeted with hugs, smiles, and reminders of why community matters. We’re always looking for more hands, food, and supplies if you’d like to join us. #LakeWorth #MutualAid

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Ophelia kept sliding across the yoga studio floor, Angela and Marie helped us figure out a solution: her own yoga mat for traction. The rest of us are practicing mindfulness. She’s practicing professional-level napping. Thanks for making everyone feel welcome, including giant fluffy service dogs.

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Phoenix turned 18. 💛 We celebrated with croissants at Vincent’s, pottery painting at Picasso’s, and dinner at Hachi. Mom joined us for breakfast and pottery before her social battery tapped out. A wonderful day with family, laughter, and one officially adult kid.

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Our flock has increased by 16. 🐔 5 Ameraucanas. 11 Jersey Giants. Apparently I looked at my current stress level and decided the solution was more heartbeats. At this point, my backyard is less of a yard and more of a small, feathered municipality. 😂💛 #ChickenMath #BackyardChickens

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I used to think wealth was money. Now I think wealth is being the first woman in your bloodline who gets to choose her own life. Not because the women before me lacked strength, but because they used theirs to leave doors open for me. That’s an inheritance too. 💛 #neverfingsettle

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Mama/Spawn dates 💛 One thing we’ve always protected is one-on-one time together. They’re adults now (mostly), which feels impossible, but I still love getting a few uninterrupted hours with each of them. My favorite people. Always. #NeverFingSettle 💛

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This weekend was full of celebration, laughter, and celebrating Nix’s graduation. Today looks like this. One thing people don’t always see is that when you’re disabled sometimes you borrow energy from tomorrow to participate today. The fun days are real, but so are the recovery days.

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People don’t choose their race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, appearance, or mental health struggles. They do choose how they treat other people. You don’t have to understand someone’s experience to respect their humanity. Kindness is a choice. So is cruelty. #NeverFingSettle

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Nix before her high school graduation. 🎓 I blinked and somehow the little kid with endless questions became this incredible young adult. Smart, creative, kind, and unapologetically herself. So proud of you, kiddo. The world is lucky to get more of you. #NeverFingSettle #ClassOf2026

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Nix’s high school graduation. 🎓 Orlando, here we come. 💛

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Roree and I decided the correct response to stress was apparently: pedicures, massage chairs, smoothies, and pretending we are women of leisure instead of two people held together by caffeine and vibes. 💅😂

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Somewhere along the way, your babies become your besties and nobody warns you that it’s going to be this fun. 💛

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Names harm. The other person denies it, attacks them, then suddenly becomes the “real” victim while the actual harmed person ends up apologizing, defending themselves, or questioning reality. Healthy people can tolerate accountability. Manipulative people often turn accountability into theater.

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A Haitian cultural event at the Lantana Library with Melissa and Roree, listening to stories and conversations that mattered, surrounded by art, history, music, and community…then ending the night shooting pool at Lantern like a bunch of emotionally supportive raccoons with cue sticks. 😂

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Your family: “These are death apples.” You: “Excellent. So after the tiny prisoners complete intake, we’re doing rehabilitation and community reentry, yes?” I’m always trying to save something. Even if it means I’m out here trying to establish a bug witness protection program in my kitchen.

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That’s not a dog in the dog bed. 🤨 Tweak, that’s not yours. 🐓

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Spent the evening at Lantana Library After Dark with Melissa and Roree learning about music as story, resistance, grief, and survival. Heavy, powerful, important. Also libraries remain one of humanity’s best ideas. 💛 #NeverFingSettle #Libraries #Community

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If trauma can be passed down, so can healing. So can love, emotional intelligence, and wisdom. You don’t have to repeat the story. You get to change it. #neverfingsettle

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Weekly Mama/Spawn dates = emotional bonding + snacks + unapologetic chaos in public. One-on-one time so each kid feels deeply seen. Group dates so we can be loud, weird, and fully ourselves together. Therapeutic? Yes. Iconic? Also yes. I made these humans. No returns. #neverfingsettle

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Matilda at Lake Worth Playhouse with some of my favorite humans. Caia is Nix’s best friend, Melissa is my bestie, and somehow we got lucky enough to make this beautiful little chosen family constellation. Matilda remains an icon. Tiny, brilliant, mildly feral, deeply principled. We support her.

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A little late, but the love was right on time. 🐣💛 Our Easter was full of family, bubbles, dyed eggs, amazing food, laughter, and beautiful chaos. Grateful for every second and every memory. 🌷💛 #EasterMemories #LatePost #GratefulHeart #SpringVibes #BlessedMoments #EggDyeing #FamilyChaos

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I’m not back to work, but my heart still lives in that space. I miss my patients. Their resilience, honesty, humor, and willingness to keep going inspired me every single day. Sometimes the teacher gets changed by the class. Can’t wait for the day I’m cleared to return to the work I love. 💛

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“What that work ethic do?” Shows up on time, handles chaos with style, keeps receipts, fixes problems nobody else noticed, survives meetings that should’ve been emails, and clocks out right on schedule. Professionalism with a side of sarcasm. #neverfingsettle

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Got Roree moved home with Aunt Heather’s help. Took muscle, laughs, snacks, and a lot of love. I’m late posting, but grateful right on time. 💛

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Plot twist: the tough season at work might not be here to stop you—it might be preparing you for your next level. Every challenge is a chance to practice resilience, confidence, and the kind of leadership you’ll need when the breakthrough arrives. Show up accordingly.

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Aurora, my sweet girl—you are light, depth, laughter, softness, and strength all at once. Watching you grow into yourself is one of my greatest joys. No matter where life takes us, you’ll always have a place in my arms and in my heart. I adore you more than words can hold. ✨

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The parade was joy. The after party was home. Laughter, karaoke, arms around each other, the kind of love that says you belong here. Pride was born from protest, and that note still rings. We celebrate loud, but we keep fighting too.

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Unpopular Opinion Therapist