Hank's Mom Has Opinions!

A dead snake was lying beside the trail.

At least, it appeared to be dead.

Within minutes, my brain had given that snake motive, strategy, cognitive reasoning, and a personal interest in my walking route. Meanwhile, Hank—the professional scent hunter—remained magnificently oblivious.

In this episode, we’re talking about forecasting: what happens when our minds fill the space between what we know and what we fear with an invented story—and then charge us the emotional cost in advance.

We’ll look at the difference between forecasting and preparedness, why possibility is not probability, and how a few clarifying questions can bring us back to the reality actually happening.

Because sometimes the wisest creature on the trail is the one who smells everything—and writes no screenplay about it.

What if the Serenity Prayer isn’t a prayer of surrender—but a roadmap?

In this episode of Hank’s Mom Has Opinions, I take a deeper look at three familiar lines and discover just how much they have to say about peace, boundaries, courage, discernment, and detachment.

Because accepting what we cannot change doesn’t mean approving of it. Changing what we can may mean changing ourselves. And having the wisdom to know the difference might be what finally allows us to put down the things that were never ours to carry.

We’ll talk about the difference between “I give up” and “I give this up,” what it means to find peace with your eyes open, and why sometimes faith looks like recognizing the boundary of your responsibility—and handing the rest to God.

Three lines. So much wisdom.

And yes, Hank contributes his own lesson in discernment. Unfortunately, it involves flatulence.

Distance rarely happens all at once. More often, it accumulates—in missed conversations, neglected habits, unresolved hurts, and all those little promises that we’ll get back to it tomorrow.

In this episode of Hank’s Mom Has Opinions, we’re talking about what happens when the things we once carefully tended begin to wilt, why our brains love to fill in the blanks when relationships feel distant, and how small movements toward each other can begin to close the gap.

We’ll also talk about the important difference between tending something worth growing and wasting perfectly good water on weeds.

And, of course, Hank weighs in with his usual relationship strategy: skip the overthinking, close the distance, and launch yourself directly into someone’s rib cage.

Accumulated Distance: Tend Your Garden — because whatever deserves to grow deserves to be tended.

Peace isn't something someone else gives you. It's something you choose—again and again.

In this episode, we're talking about what it really means to protect your peace, even when life feels messy and the people around you haven't exactly gotten their act together. We'll explore the choices that move us away from chaos and toward steadiness: setting boundaries, establishing standards, taking intentional action, and learning the surprisingly freeing art of detachment.

Along the way, Hank reminds us that life is a little lighter when we stop negotiating with drama and start returning to what matters most.

Because peace that depends on someone else's behavior isn't peace—it's a negotiation. And your peace is worth protecting.

Life has a way of pulling us toward extremes. Sometimes our past makes us so guarded that we stop fully participating in life. Other times, hope clouds our judgment and we ignore what's right in front of us.

Inspired by the iconic Friday Night Lights mantra, "Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose," this episode explores the balance between discernment and compassion. Through the lens of Jesus' instruction to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves," we'll talk about why paying attention to patterns, choosing data over drama, and keeping both our eyes and our hearts open may be one of the healthiest ways to navigate life.

And of course, Hank has a few thoughts on the subject—well...mostly about birds.

Join me as we discover why seeing reality clearly doesn't mean closing your heart, and why the sweetest rewards are often found somewhere in the middle.

This week on Hank's Mom Has Opinions, we're talking about the difference between being chaos and creating chaos.

Because let's be honest: we're all a little chaotic sometimes. We forget things. We make mistakes. We trip over our own feet—sometimes literally. But there's a difference between having a chaotic moment and leaving a trail of emotional cleanup for everyone around you.

Inspired by Hank's latest adventure involving horse manure, roadside assistance, and a complete lack of personal accountability, this episode explores how to recognize the difference between human imperfection and patterns that create unnecessary drama.

We'll talk about emotional responsibility, recurring conflict, why patterns matter more than isolated incidents, and how mature people manage their chaos without making it everyone else's problem.

Because being chaos may be part of being human.

Creating chaos is a choice.

And as always, Hank has opinions... even if he looks surprised by the consequences every single time.

The Grief Journals concludes with a conversation about what comes after survival.

In Part Two: Coming Out on the Other Side, Denise reflects on the years following the loss of her son, Ethan, and the difficult work of learning how to live with grief instead of simply enduring it.

This isn't a story about "moving on" or finding a silver lining. It's about ownership, healing, and discovering that grief—while painful and deeply personal—can also become a source of purpose.

In this episode, Denise explores:
• The loneliness that comes after the calls, cards, and casseroles stop coming
• The emotional spiral that often follows loss
• Why she came to believe that her grief belonged to her—and what that realization changed
• How healing leaves scars, not erasures
• The ways grief expanded her capacity for compassion, service, and connection through theater, mentoring students, and the programs that fostered strong family bonds.

Along the way, Hank makes his usual appearance, offering a reminder that healing doesn't require perfection and that sometimes the best support comes from simply being present.

If you've ever wondered whether life can hold meaning after profound loss, this episode is for you.

Because healing doesn't mean becoming who you were before.

Sometimes it means becoming someone new—shaped by love, loss, resilience, and the choice to keep moving forward.

Thank you for joining us for The Grief Journals.

And as always...

Drink your water.
Do your sanity check.
And give the dog an extra treat.

Somewhere between 11 PM and 1 AM, tiny problems suddenly become life-altering catastrophes. A weird text tone means your relationship is doomed. A random stomach ache becomes medically fascinating. And somehow your exhausted brain decides midnight is the perfect time to reevaluate your entire existence.

In this episode of the Crash Out Series, Hank’s Mom talks about why nighttime has a way of turning stress into emotional chaos, why morning almost always feels more manageable, and how exhaustion removes proportion from our thinking.

We’re talking late-night spirals, emotional raccoons, survival kits, hydration, overanalyzing text messages like federal evidence, and the important role cheese sometimes plays in emotional stability.

Also, Hank remains emotionally unbothered by punctuation… unless birds are involved.

Part One of a deeply personal two-part series on grief.

In this episode of Hank’s Mom Has Opinions, Denise talks about the immediate aftermath of losing her son, Ethan, eight years ago — the shock, disbelief, numbness, and quiet reality of learning how to survive a life you never would have chosen.

This is not a story about blame.
It’s not a lecture about addiction.
And it’s definitely not a guide to “getting over” loss.

It’s an honest conversation about grief as it actually feels: confusing, heavy, deeply personal, and different for everyone who carries it.

Through reflections on survival, emotional processing, and the unexpected comfort found in small moments — including the steady presence of Hank, the world’s most emotionally persistent German Shorthaired Pointer — Denise explores what it means to keep moving when your world has fundamentally changed.

If you’re grieving, loving someone through addiction, or simply trying to understand loss a little better…this episode is for you.

And as always:
Drink your water.
Do your sanity check.
And maybe let the dog convince you to go outside.

Boundaries sound simple…until you actually have to set one.

In this episode, we take a calm, honest look at what boundaries really are—and what they’re not. Because they’re not about controlling other people, starting conflict, or pushing others away. They’re about protecting your capacity, your peace, and your ability to stay steady in your own life.

We talk about:

• Why boundaries feel so uncomfortable (for you and the other person)
• What boundaries actually look like in real life (hint: less talking, more doing)
• Why healthy relationships don’t break under boundaries—they get stronger because of them
• What people’s reactions to your boundaries can teach you (data over drama)
• And the most important boundary of all…the one you set with yourself

And of course, Hank makes an appearance as the world’s most enthusiastic boundary tester…who, despite his best efforts, still manages to respect a consistent “off” and “crate.”

If boundaries have ever felt confusing, harsh, or overwhelming—this episode brings it back to something much simpler:

Clarity. Consistency. And taking care of yourself without apology.