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Essays on MS, family, faith, and the writing life.

Personal essays drawing universal meaning from lived experience. Start with the featured essay, or browse by topic.

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My Twenty Years with MS: A Lesson in Perseverance
Blog June 10, 2025

My Twenty Years with MS: A Lesson in Perseverance

On June 10, 2005, I heard the words, “You have MS.” I was twenty-eight years old, numb from the waist down, terrified, and completely unprepared for what came next. I remember the fear most…

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Manifestation Above the Clouds
Blog May 30, 2025

Manifestation Above the Clouds

I’ll be honest. We weren’t exactly excited about another long, winding drive the day after doing the Road to Hana. But our…
Uncle Joe’s Last Drink
Blog May 13, 2025

Uncle Joe’s Last Drink

In Weymouth, they called him Joe Horse. His real name was Joseph Cavallo, but nobody called him that. Not at Denly’s, not…
The Breakfast of a Lifetime
Blog May 8, 2025

The Breakfast of a Lifetime

We were sitting around a small table at my mom’s favorite spot, Cupz and Crepes, when something hit me. It was just…
The Story Deserves to Be Told
Blog May 1, 2025

The Story Deserves to Be Told

I almost quit. After months of writing, editing, sharing vulnerable stories from my life, and getting nothing but silence from literary agents,…
The Day the Music Died
Blog April 24, 2025

The Day the Music Died

The Day My Son Discovered MF DOOM Slept on My Couch Part Two Mason sat there staring at me, still stunned. “Wait……
The Day My Son Discovered MF DOOM Slept on My Couch
Blog April 15, 2025

The Day My Son Discovered MF DOOM Slept on My Couch

It started with a sound. A familiar bassline drifted from my son Mason’s room, low and looped, laid-back but haunting. I was…
The Road to Hana and the Aloha Mindset
Blog April 8, 2025

The Road to Hana and the Aloha Mindset

Some stories don’t need embellishment. They write themselves through the rawness of the moment, the stress, the beauty, the kindness of strangers,…
Cheating Death at Fearing Pond
Blog April 3, 2025

Cheating Death at Fearing Pond

In June 2024, I flew back to Massachusetts with my sons, Mason and Colby, for a 72-hour whirlwind trip to celebrate the…
Where She Lives Now
Blog April 1, 2025

Where She Lives Now

When I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, my mind drifted back to a memory I hadn’t thought about in years. It was…

This is a curated selection. Matt has published 109+ essays since 2016 across topics spanning MS, healthcare, family, heritage, and the writing craft. Full archive coming soon.

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