1. Poetry: Bright Bindings by Countee Cullen and Dissonance by Wana Udobang shared on Poet.org’s “poem-a-day,” Everywhere and Acceptance and Every fortress I have ever built and Today’s Headline and The Spreading and New Soundtrack by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Pause and Sonic and Stone and Some Days by Julie Barton, The Presence of Everything by James Crews, Family Album by William Trowbridge and After a Winter of Grieving by Sam Hamill and January Report from the Food Pantry Coordinator by Jeff Sypeck and What Is My Life About? by Julie Price Pinkerton on The Daily Rattle, Liminal by Maya Stein, and Katherine with the Lazy Eye. Short. And Not a Good Poet by francine j. harris and Historical Site by Tommye Blount on the Slowdown.

2. The Sound of the Genuine, “from Howard Thurman’s 1980 commencement address at Spelman College.”

3. This Will Change How You See Your Life (The Beauty of the Ordinary) on Reflections of Life. (video) “Even in life’s most challenging moments, beauty quietly waits to offer us comfort. In times of pain or loss, noticing the small things around us — the warmth of sunlight, the comfort of a friend — can remind us of life’s gentle grace. These seemingly ordinary experiences, so easily overlooked, become subtle guides back toward hope and healing…Resilience doesn’t mean ignoring hardship; it means facing it with courage, allowing ourselves time to process and grow. Gratitude can be a lifeline, a way to hold onto the blessings that remain, no matter how difficult things may seem. Though the journey may be marked by grief, embracing the beauty in each day can help us move forward. In this way, the smallest moments of light can offer strength when darkness surrounds us.”

4. Lunch with a Jumping Spider by Betsy Mason.

5. Good stuff from Jamie Attenberg on Craft Talk: How to Stay Creative (“Even when the world sucks”), and How to Get Your Engine Going (“Getting back into the work after some time away”), and Why Not Now? (“The question I’m always asking myself”).

6. Who Wins The Race? “The enchantment, complexity and challenge of storytelling” by Josie George on bimblings.

7. editing is a form of love, “and other lessons from writing” on Poetry Unbound.

8. On Quitting, and What Remains. “The afterlife of a former self, revisited” on The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad.

9. Good stuff on The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz: America’s Boys Deserve Better Than MAGA Masculinity and MAGAs Hate Bad Bunny Because He Reminds Them That They’re Losing.

10. Joyful artwork from around the world! “Images to brighten your day (and the world)” from Brad Montague on The Enthusiast.

11. The treatment failed but I got what I needed. “Ketamine didn’t cure my pain, but it let me relive a perfect October afternoon with my dead husband” by Elizabeth Kleinfeld.

12. Not Talking by Gail Folkins on Short Reads. “Weighing silence.”

13. We will be talking about the bravery and love of Minnesotans for decades. “But the good people of that state still need your help right now” by Garrett Bucks on The White Pages.

14. Terms and conditions of being alive. “You agreed to be human, that was always enough” by Jasmine on The Tiny Joy Project. I didn’t put this with the Poetry item at the beginning of this list, but I could have.

15. Identity is not a fixed sentence but a living draft by Patti Digh. “Aging does not require erasure, dignity can coexist with absurdity, and reinvention is not only possible but necessary.”

16. Compassion as Protection: Practicing with Those Who Cause Harm, Kaira Jewel’s February 2026 Newsletter. “In the Plum Village tradition, we are taught that compassion is the best protection. This teaching does not ask us to be passive, naïve, or self-sacrificing. It asks us to be wise, embodied, and rooted in reality.”

17. Feel it all by Amy Marie Turner.

18. Home by Marji Macy on Writing at Red Lights. “Can we welcome those who are unalike us into our home?”

19. Tip for tap by Seth Godin.

20. The Surprising History of Tarot Cards.

21. The troubling rise of longevity fixation syndrome: ‘I was crushed by the pressure I put on myself’ on The Guardian. “This unofficial diagnosis describes the anxiety-driven, compulsive obsession with living as long as possible. While it might seem healthy to monitor your diet, exercise and biomarkers, it can come at a huge emotional cost.”

22. Given the toxicity of social media, a moral question now faces all of us: is it still ethical to use it? on The Guardian.

23. I grew up with Alex Pretti. “The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by federal agents was my childhood best friend.” In related news, The Woman Alex Pretti Was Killed Trying to Defend Is an EMT. Federal Agents Stopped Her From Giving First Aid.

24. 6 Mindset Shifts That Have Changed My Life for the Better.

25. How to nurture deeper friendships without going out or spending a dime.

26. Sarah McLachlan: Tiny Desk Concert. (video) “During a Sarah McLachlan performance, the chills come when you least expect them. One of the most expressive singer-songwriters of her generation, McLachlan makes the goosebumps happen with her gloriously gentle, iridescent voice — particularly through her negotiation of the break between its registers. She does just that in the first song of this Tiny Desk, an almost country-fied version of her 1997 hit ‘Building a Mystery.’ With Luke Doucet’s impossibly delicate guitar arpeggios as her guide, McLachlan takes the song beyond its edge at the very last minute, gliding into a high note that remains unresolved. It’s one of several moments here that feel miraculous.

McLachlan has long been a purveyor of such small graces. Despite her renown as founder of the Lilith Fair tour, she has been underestimated as a major player in the reinvention of pop balladry, when she updated a folk-based sound with modern-rock flourishes and a fresh, feminist perspective. Here, playing alongside her longtime collaborators Doucet and Melissa McClelland — a husband-wife duo who’ve made many beautiful albums under the name Whitehorse — she highlights the side of her art that’s grounded in deep feeling and unassuming virtuosity. At one point, she apologizes to those watching because her back is to them while she’s at the piano. But from whatever angle experienced, this is one of the Tiny Desk’s warmest and most poignant sets.”

27. And this new comic from The Awkward Yeti.