Some stories don’t need embellishment. They write themselves through the rawness of the moment—the stress, the beauty, the kindness of strangers, and the unforgettable turns (both literal and emotional) along the way. This is one of those stories. We left the Hilton Grand Wailea right after breakfast, full bellies and high hopes, packed into a […]
The Road to Hana and the Aloha Mindset Read More »
In June 2024, I flew back to Massachusetts with my sons, Mason and Colby, for a 72-hour whirlwind trip to celebrate the Boston Celtics’ NBA Championship. We made the most of every minute—cheering at the parade, climbing rocks and jumping into the ocean from my cousin Stevie’s boat near World’s End, and laughing with family
Cheating Death at Fearing Pond Read More »
When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, my mind drifted back to a memory I hadn’t thought about in years. It was the spring of 1980, and I was just four years old. That was the year my Aunt Loretta passed away—she was the first person I ever lost. Loretta Cavallo was born on March
Where She Lives Now Read More »
The following is an excerpt from, The Dog Story: How Faith, Family, and a Puppy Helped Me Rediscover Hope by Matt Cavallo. This side-by-side photo compilation is from my sister Nicole’s First Communion. It features the altar at Resurrection of the Lord Parish in Hingham, MA, Nicole at 5 years old, Father Mooney, and me at
Maybe This Isn’t the End Read More »
It was late summer 1980 in East Weymouth, Massachusetts. I was four years old, and my brother, Mike, was two. We lived at 37 Lorraine Street, our little ranch home in a small, family neighborhood where kids played freely, and there were no fences dividing the yards just the forest behind our home. Our backyard
The Day My Brother Went Missing Read More »
The sun was just starting to rise over Ahwatukee, casting that perfect golden glow across the desert. It was early June, one of those rare mornings in Phoenix when you could actually enjoy being outside without feeling like you’d stepped into an oven set to broil. My twin Havanese dogs, Barry and Jasper, were already
Black Market Monkeys Read More »
The Sedona Room is my writing oasis. An artist hand-painted a sunrise over Cathedral Rock in Sedona across the walls and ceiling, wrapping the room in warm desert hues. The reds, oranges, blues, and purples stretch across the sky, giving me the feeling of being immersed in nature while still sitting comfortably inside the air
Let the Readers Feel the Fight Read More »
The following is an excerpt from, The Dog Story: How Faith, Family, and a Puppy Helped Me Rediscover Hope by Matt Cavallo. The photo is Anthony and I aboard the USS Cole circa 1996. The USS Cole cut through the churning Atlantic, slicing past the Frying Pan Shoals buoy near Cape Fear, North Carolina. The
Into the Storm: Surviving Hurricane Bertha on the USS Cole Read More »
It was late September, 1999, and the Phoenix heat pressed against my skin as I slid into my Jeep Cherokee, which had recently lost its AC. Every commute to downtown felt like a slow roast. As I wiped sweat from my brow, I found myself wondering—for the hundredth time—had I made the right choice moving
Be Careful Whose Advice You Buy Read More »
It was February 1999, and I had just returned to Hingham, Massachusetts, from Phoenix, where my uncle Matt—my namesake—had gotten married. The sun-drenched desert felt like another world. While I had spent the past few days basking in 80-degree temperatures, Massachusetts had other plans. A late-season snowstorm loomed, and I was back to the grind
How The Blizzard of ’99 Changed Everything Read More »