Some Neat Place

said, “kindness to me is taking care care of your fellow human companions on spaceship earth even when they’re being a little spicy 🌶️.”

Maybe, instead of hurtful words and actions, we take in something spicy to distract emotions that can flair like a Carolina Reaper.

- The story is two friends (including Matt), gardening, obsessing over peppers, and cooking in their kitchens, which feels far from corporate‑mass‑market brands. The founders actually grow rare international peppers - yes, they garden.

Beyond the spices and accolades, he’s a good friend that shows up with heart(burn). A rare human that cares and genuinely wants people to win. Talk about a kind person + company.

🙏🏼

“Look inside yourself and find that loving part of you. Take good care of that part because it helps you love your neighbor.” Mister Rogers

Happy World Kindness Day!

If I’m being brutally honest—and when am I not?—trying to figure out what to post lately has felt like staring into the existential abyss of the Instagram algorithm. How do you talk about “kindness” in a way that’s actually heartfelt, that comes from the soul, and isn’t just a cynical bid to “catch the wave” of engagement?

It felt too hard. Too heavy. Then, as I was deep in this internal, mildly dramatic crisis, my friend, Zeke (), dropped into my DMs with a simple, glorious, and perfectly timed, “Happy Kindness Day to you!!”

We got to talking about his family—and that’s where the lesson landed. Zeke said what truly makes him smile the most is the way each member of his family shows up with love, individually, and cares for each person in their own unique way.

Think about that.

We are all operating in a world where money, opportunities, and success are treated as a zero-sum game—held tight to the chest because we’ve been convinced we live in a world of scarcity. We have political divisions that feel tectonic, wars that break the heart, and crimes that shake our fundamental sense of security.

Amidst all this noise, it sometimes feels like the single, truly free thing we have—love—is the hardest commodity to find. But Zeke and his family remind us that love isn’t a commodity; it’s a renewable resource, powered by the simple decision to be kind, every day, in small, unique ways.

So thank you, Zeke, for the reminder that genuine kindness is just love in action. It’s what we need to produce more of. Less scarcity, more Zeke.

♥️

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, dear Heppy,
Happy birthday to you 🐾

Circa 2000s, the last place I thought this young man would be was a Pastor and a Son of Christ. The unexpected came with him raising three wonderful kids, being a husband to Jamie, and reconnecting with me when I needed it the most. However, God’s always seen this version of him, and he expected this to be his path, but I was so lost that I never saw the truth he walks in each day.

The evolution of our 25+ year friendship, where they showed up before Mom died, wasn’t the end but a rebirth of a long friendship where we lost touch. I can’t count how many times they came down from Houston to Austin on a whim to sip coffee and then went back down to support us through these trying times. During the last week of Mom’s life, they came and showed up with love, and the words brought us to tears.

Love is something you can’t see but can feel. No equation or lab study can say that “love is real,” but most know it exists through faith. I couldn’t see, measure, or grab it but felt it in that room. The same is true with God; we can’t see or touch Him, but faith tells us He is real. Love you both so much for showing up, never expecting anything, and being so loving with your time, energy, and heart.

Our beautiful friends started KAINOS (), and it’s helped me move through this trauma in more ways than one. If you need a love you can feel, and no matter how many times you fall, someone will be there to pick you up, please say hi if you are in Houston.

RIP, Mrs. Vonnye Rice Gardner (1946 - 2024)

For 46 years of your life, you worked tirelessly in the Texas education field. You did this during segregation and were among the early Black students to graduate from Austin High School. Then, you graduated with honors with your bachelor’s and master’s degrees, again during segregation. You showed resilience, compassion, and love through it all.

I read your obituary today, and you passed on the 26th of August, a few days right before your 78th birthday and my birthday. I wrote a short prayer and message for you and saw that you read it on Facebook, but I thought you must have been exhausted from the cancer fight, so you would write back later as you usually would. That message never came.

When I last saw and hugged you as my mom, and you were about to get an infusion, you told me that “it’s great to be seen than viewed.” Your obituary captured the tremendous work in education, the civic work you did from churches to schools to being a life member of the NAACP, but I saw a different side of you.

I’ll remember you telling me about the “Negro Motorist Green Book,” the first Chinese restaurant you went to during the days of segregation in Austin, to sharing how indispensable education was beyond getting a job, but being a better human being for yourself and to your neighbors. Most importantly, I’ll remember you because you saw me and never viewed me.

Sending you love as you spread your wings to heaven, Mrs. Gardner.

🖤🙏🏼

Meet Cindy . This remarkable woman has been to hell and back, but her spirit remains unbroken. From caring for both parents through their battles with cancer, putting art school on hold as she raised a son, and giving up this idea of living in Charlotte because life threw her lemons. However, she never gave up on herself; her journey took years.

As I listened to Cindy talk about her life, I noticed that her smile never left her face. Being a caretaker for over 5 years, one year with her mom’s breast cancer fight, then her dad getting lunch cancer shortly after, and to top it off, her brother-in-law passed, and add more than half a decade of her loving and being there for family is a testimony of sacrifice and a lot of love.

Cindy has also been and always has been an artist, from being the first chair to playing every instrument, including the violin, piano, piccolo (I had to Google it, lol), and flute. However, she stopped playing after her senior year in high school because, on a solo with a new song she had never heard, Cindy was laughed at and belittled by the teacher in front of her peers as she played for the last time (until recently).

As if that wasn’t enough, moving to Austin circa 2023, she dealt with racism, misogyny, joblessness, and even struggling to find a place to live. She trusted God, did a lot of praying, and, since 2015, picked up an SLR and paint brushes as a new instrument, and now has a business she loves (her work is damn good, too). She’s also found community in a new city at The Christian House of Prayer () and started to use her musical and artistic gifts at church, leaving the past behind her.

Amazing things can happen when you have a little hope and inspiration. It seemed like a barrage of being knocked down and finding the will to keep fighting another day. Cindy said it was never easy, but she loved herself enough to remove the fear of failure. And now she’s here in Austin, finding her way through a growing city and falling in love with her dreams, showing us that it’s never too late and that the story is still being written for all of us.

🖤🙏🏽👑

Meeting Tina () through a good friend was one of those moments where you “never knew you needed, but now you can’t live without” type of friendship.

Tina, aka Dr. Tina Carter (Ph.D. Chemist), aka ordained United Methodist Elder, aka a dear friend, became a person I leaned on in ways I never would have imagined. She battled S4 colon cancer, the same one my mom is battling now, and after 7 years, there was no evidence of disease in her body after a couple of clinical trials.

7 years doing anything is laborious. Imagine 7 years of putting chemo, aka poison, into your body, having no guarantee that the trials would cure Tina or how they might make her worse, and a journey that typically has no end. As a caretaker, I don’t know how cancer feels, but I can understand the weight of the journey, and this is how I leaned on Tina.

She sends daily messages to a few friends, and I’m humbled to be in that group. It’s short messages of her life, and she instills hope, laughter at times, and most importantly, a presence where she lets you know that you’re not alone. We met the other month, sipping coffee, eating pancakes, sharing stories, and leaning in. She smiled through most of the conversation, which made me feel less weight of experiencing so much cancer in my life.

Tina, thank you for showing up for people and, selfishly, for me. You’re God-sent, and I never knew I needed those texts or a simple reframing of how I see my reflection, but those moments helped in ways that I cannot express through words. On days when I couldn’t turn on the lights, your words and friendship helped me find my way.

Love + Hugs, Tina. Thank you.

If you need some hope, check out her story and podcast here: notesfromcancerworld.org

As someone once said, “Shoutout to people whose kindness isn’t a strategy but a way of life.” This perfectly describes Tin, a friend and the CEO of , which is beyond simply a boba brand.

He stated, “Focus your attitude and action to express kindness, not expect kindness.” KRAK BOBA is about believing that you have the strength to live authentically and fully, as it’s already inside you. We often associate thriving with this big energy, Type-A manifesting, and extroverted persona.

It’s also the opposite.

The introverted person who holds the door open for strangers, to the big-energy person smiling at someone passing them, unknowingly making someone who might be going through cancer or depression feel fully seen. Kindness is also “big energy,” especially when you give it without expectations.

This picture is of his mother-in-law, who is blind in one eye and lives with them at home as they caretake for her. We share this loving kindness, which brings us closer as friends. Even though it’s impressive opening up 29 locations and having other ventures on the side, loving his family, being a father, and being a tremendous friend are the most remarkable aspects of Tin that the world can aspire to be. Being kind is his way of life.

I am deeply grateful to you, Van (), for your connections to Tin and many others dedicated to improving the world. I cannot thank you enough for plugging me in and believing in us ( - she’s not just kind but also a brilliant brand strategist).

🖤

We met Harper and Marissa () while eating at a sushi spot in Austin, Texas, and as we were looking at the menu, Harper started to share a bit about the sake he was drinking, and we sparked a conversation.

The waitstaff suggested this limited sake, but I turned it down, even though Harper said he’d split the cost with me, which I initially thought was a joke. A few moments later (queue Spongebob), Harper buys it, then asks for another glass and shares it with us. No questions or splitting the tab. What was a quick sushi fix turned out with us sharing vulnerable stories and becoming fast friends.

Since then, he has opened up his home and shared how he and Marissa met. Their love for each other (including this photo of when she said yes) and for others restores hope in how we all show up with greater curiosity and neighborly love. Also, staying intentional “in” the moment, without distractions.

Congratulations on the marriage + partnership, and thanks for showing us what it means to be an incredible neighbor and loving with intention.

Round two soon.

I met Frank, a stranger now friend, a few hours ago at Lady Bird, running in the same direction on my 7-mile trek (I’m training for a marathon, so I was out there doing my thing).

This image of David Goggins appeared in my head, thinking of what he would tell me if I stopped running (insert expletives, lol). Even though in my head, I made a deal with myself that I’d eat better if I took a few more breaks. However, as I tried to bargain with myself, I saw this gentleman going at a decent pace, but he was controlled. So I told myself, I’ll stop when he stops.

Unbeknownst to people I run with, I play games with them, and I “voluntold” Frank he would play pacemaker, and I’d follow, lol. A couple of miles in, I realized he wasn’t stopping. After our run, I asked him what he was running for, and he mentioned that his 90-year-old father was in hospice. His runs are for clarity, but he also runs for his father. I was doing the same.

Everyone we passed up or who passed us up has a story. We all want different things in life, and as we age, specific wants become more evident, such as peace of mind, meaningful relationships, and kindness out in the world. Every time I see Frank, it’ll be a fistbump knowing we’re thinking of each other’s parents, or he can laugh knowing precisely what I’m doing steps behind him.

Each person has their version of thriving. My friend, , has a Stress Summit happening starting tomorrow. It’s free, so go register at thrivestatesummit.com. For those going through things, maybe you can pick up a habit or two to activate your own version of thriving in this crazy world we live in. We’re all trying our best, so be proud, even taking a step forward.

See you on the trail, Frank. Prayers up for your father 🙏🏽

I met Frank, a stranger now friend, a few hours ago at Lady Bird, running in the same direction on my 7-mile trek (I’m training for a marathon, so I was out there doing my thing).

This image of appeared in my head, thinking of what he would tell me if I stopped running (insert expletives, lol). Even though in my head, I made a deal with myself that I’d eat better if I took a few more breaks. However, as I tried to bargain with myself, I saw this gentleman going at a decent pace, but he was controlled. So I told myself, I’ll stop when he stops.

Unbeknownst to people I run with, I play games with them, and I “voluntold” Frank he would play pacemaker, and I’d follow, lol. A couple of miles in, I realized he wasn’t stopping. After our run, I asked him what he was running for, and he mentioned that his 90-year-old father was in hospice. His runs are for clarity, but he also runs for his father. I was doing the same.

Everyone we passed up or who passed us up has a story. We all want different things in life, and as we age, specific wants become more evident, such as peace of mind, meaningful relationships, and kindness out in the world. Every time I see Frank, it’ll be a fistbump knowing we’re thinking of each other’s parents, or he can laugh knowing precisely what I’m doing steps behind him.

Each person has their version of thriving. My friend, , has a Stress Summit happening starting tomorrow. It’s free, so go register at thrivestatesummit.com. For those going through things, maybe you can pick up a habit or two to activate your own version of thriving in this crazy world we live in. We’re all trying our best, so be proud, even taking a step forward.

See you on the trail, Frank. Prayers up for your father.