Ron Stempkowski's Blog

The title of my upcoming book is “The Luck We Carry: Love, Loss, and the Stories that Shape Us.” The title comes from an essay I wrote last year about an experience that really touched me and solidified the idea for this book. At the library book sale where I volunteer, I helped a woman...

The post I’ve Been Calling It “The Book.” Not Anymore appeared first on ron stempkowski.

I expected notes. That’s what you brace for when you hand something precious to an editor. You expect margin comments. Structural concerns. A polite but firm list of things that need work. What I did not expect was to be told, in calm, measured language, that the book already does what it set out to...

The post The Feedback I Wasn’t Ready For appeared first on ron stempkowski.

My upcoming book exists because of a promise. Ken was full of kindness, grace, and humor. So much so that even our hospice experience together held moments of joy. Not because it was easy. It wasn’t. We had hard conversations. Honest ones. The kind you’re grateful for later. I have no regrets. I got to...

The post The Promise I Made Before He Died–and Why I’m Still Keeping It appeared first on ron stempkowski.

When I woke up on New Year’s Day 2026, the first words* out of my mouth were, “This is the year my book comes out.” (*I did say good morning to Hudson first. Priorities.) Still, saying it out loud mattered. It felt different than thinking it. Different than quietly working toward it, which is what...

The post The Year I Finally Say It Out Loud appeared first on ron stempkowski.

It’s my fourth year, sitting with a stack of envelopes packed with selected memories from the past year since starting the practice for 2022. It’s the perfect way to slow down, stay in the moment, and reflect on the big events that defined this year for me. Give it a watch, and let me know...

The post Reflecting on 2025 with my New Year’s Eve Ritual appeared first on ron stempkowski.

Christmas Day walks with Hudson have a different kind of quiet to them. The streets are empty. The world feels paused. No rush, no noise, no expectations. Just cold air, steady footsteps, and a very good dog taking everything in like it’s sacred. I always forget how much I need that kind of stillness until...

The post The Quiet Gift of a Christmas Day Walk appeared first on ron stempkowski.

I’ve been working quietly toward something for a long time now. Longer than most people realize. 2026 is shaping up to be a year of intention, creativity, and a big chapter finally stepping into the light. Not overnight. Not out of nowhere. But built slowly, honestly, and on paper. I’m not ready to share all...

The post Something Big Is Coming in 2026 appeared first on ron stempkowski.

While I was outside with Hudson yesterday, one of my neighbors was out with her dog, Ripley. Hudson and Ripley like to “talk” and play without regard for the fence between them. As I turned to leave them to their games, my neighbor Barbara said, “Merry Christmas,” and handed me a gift bag. Inside were...

The post The Quiet Gift of Being Seen appeared first on ron stempkowski.

The holidays can be loud. Not always in the obvious ways. Sometimes it’s the noise of schedules and obligations and travel plans and inboxes that refuse to quiet down just because the calendar says “holiday.” Sometimes it’s the internal noise. The pressure to show up cheerful. The comparison spiral. The sense that you should be...

The post The Gift of Unplugging appeared first on ron stempkowski.

Here’s the thing about the holidays that no one really says out loud. They give us permission to pause. Not the kind of pause that comes from burnout or hitting a wall. The gentler kind. The intentional kind. The kind where you step back before you actually have to. This year, I’m letting myself take...

The post Permission to Pause appeared first on ron stempkowski.