Aaron Plaat

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It’s been nearly a decade since I purchased a copy of Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go! I opened the (used) copy of the book to see a handwritten letter on the inside of the book cover; written from one friend, to another, who was pursuing their dreams of becoming a Broadway star in the Big […]

As a young man, I remember reading from The Empty Hourglass, the book written by my Opa to chronicle his life. While his adventures make mine look quite tame in comparison (I’ve never been shot down (twice) or encountered cannibals) I’ve found a source of inspiration in his words and lust for life’s uncertainties.    “When you […]

When I was a very young child, I remember going to the local recreation center to be vaccinated. Those times were some of the most frightening experiences I can remember as a child. It was the dread of knowing why you were there, followed by a seemingly-endless waiting period to hear your name being called. It was…torturous. The […]

“Aaron, if you can touch your toes, I’ll get you a pony.” A ten year-old me remembers hearing the words from my father, who offered this goal in hopes that I would be to become flexible enough to touch my toes. Stiff-legged me took Dad up on the challenge and began stretching every day until […]

There’s a saying in the bible about being ‘yoked equally’ with others. Earlier in the afternoon, I was thinking about this verse and had a few thoughts to share. A yoke is used to connect two animals in order to pull a cart. If the animals aren’t similar in statue and capacity, the load can’t […]

What if we could rise up from where we are rooted, meet each other like a long lost harmony Dance as if we shared the same five senses as if our feet were planted on the same small planet Our veins running the same red blood … We forget why we fought ourselves in the […]

1. Talk with your family Your family is your role model for your other relationships. Your family relationships can be the source of love, pain, or differences – it is entirely what you make of them. Strong relationships don’t happen without regular communication. Call home. 2. Get sh*t done Your 20’s are a decade-long learning […]

“Your 20’s are for f*cking up and being able to write it all off as a learning lesson in your 30’s” Steve gave me the above advice in one of our many brother-to-brother chats. I think about these words often, especially with my 30th birthday right around the corner. Looking back on my 20’s, I’m […]

I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of a beloved family friend, Mr. Anderson. Ed was one of the most beautiful souls I was fortunate enough to have gotten to know as a child, teenager, and young adult. Ed and his Wife Christina were an active part of our church and close family […]

“Honor thy mother and thy father and you shall live a long life” I grew up hearing this phrase as a child in a conservative christian family. At the time, it was accompanied by puppet tales of rabbits who died after not following this rule. If you didn’t honor your mother and father – you […]

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