Author: akashah

What is the most unexplainable thing you’ve ever experienced? This is a story about the first time I visited Vienna. It is one of those stories that I wouldn’t believe if it hadn’t happened to me. Now That You Ask is a podcast that looks at topics that range from death to desire, and from […]

Memories are funny things, aren’t they? It is interesting to me what will trigger a memory and what I have come to love because of its connection to some of my sweetest memories. For example, peonies and gardenias are my favorite flowers. They make me nostalgic for the South I remember from growing up. I […]

I have been thinking about dying a lot lately. I have my preferences about how my life ends, but ultimately I don’t have much say in how it happens. And what is it like after we die? For now, I am ok with the mystery of of it all. Now That You Ask is a […]

Does Wonder Woman ever have bad days? How does she feel after she saves the day? I can definitely say that I am good in a crisis. When an emergency arises,I am clear-headed about what needs to happen and I take action. It’s afterwards when the threat has passed that the downward spiral begins. This […]

Someone recently remarked that I have a strange family and, after some reflection, I realized there might be a grain of truth in this statement. So, I’d like to introduce you to one of my quirkier family members, my grandmother on my father’s side called Lizzie. She was a walking contradiction, a rigid rule follower, […]

How do you step away from self-centeredness when it’s not serving you? I like to think that I will show up one hundred percent for other people in my life when they need me to, but the truth is sometimes I know I am not fully engaged. Perhaps I am being too perfectionistic, but I […]

I’m a collector. My collection is varied and sometimes surprising and ranges from from greeting cards to dish towels. In fact, I have a bathroom towel that reads “Girl Scout Gone Bad.” Is this quirky or questionable? I hope at the very least it is interesting and perhaps funny and memorable, too. I’ll let you […]

Do you trust your intuition? I do. Without questioning it, and somewhat automatically at this point, I always follow that feeling in my body that leads me to the right decision. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. This piece is about how that level of trust has played out […]

Have you ever been so happy when something good happens to someone else that you felt like it was happening to you? Do you just love when someone is so jubilant that their joy rubs off on you? This phenomenon, which is the opposite of jealousy, is something I like to call Second-Hand Happiness. Now […]

Life is a tricky balance full of ups and downs and twists and turns. Those moments when we lose our balance (both physically and metaphorically) often lead us to where we’re supposed to be going and the peace and calm we are seeking. As I get older, I am learning to trust myself and this […]