Dr. Lisa R Brooks

04/05/2026

On May 25, 1986, America did something that still feels impossible today.

More than six million people stepped out of their homes, their routines, and their differences — and reached for the hand of a stranger.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific, a living human chain stretched 4,152 miles across the country. It crossed bustling city streets, quiet small towns, endless farmland, scorching desert, and winding rivers. For fifteen minutes, the entire nation was physically connected — heart to heart, hand to hand.

This was Hands Across America.

It wasn’t organized by politicians or corporations. It belonged to ordinary people.

Parents holding toddlers. Grandparents standing tall beside teenagers. Factory workers, farmers, teachers, nurses, veterans, and kids who skipped school just to be part of it. Some stood under blazing sun. Others felt cool ocean wind. All of them shared one purpose: to stand against hunger and homelessness and to say, out loud and in public, that no one in this country should be forgotten.

Yes, celebrities like Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, and Kenny Rogers helped draw the spotlight. But the real power came from the millions who showed up without cameras pointed at them. People who believed that showing up still mattered. People who believed that unity wasn’t just a slogan — it was something you could actually do with your own two hands.

The event raised millions for food banks and housing programs, but that was only part of the story.

The deeper impact was emotional.

For fifteen minutes, a divided nation proved it could still come together. It reminded Americans that compassion could move faster than fear. That ordinary people, when linked together, could create something bold, visible, and unforgettable.

Many who were there still remember the feeling of that hand in theirs — warm, steady, human. In a time when it feels like we are being pulled apart by every force imaginable, that memory still burns.

America once reached out and literally held itself together.

And the truth is… we can do it again.

03/24/2026

Now THIS is real basketball 🙌

03/16/2026

02/26/2026

🥇

The world can’t get enough of Alysa Liu. 🫶✨

After stepping away from competition at 16 to protect her mental health, Alysa returned to the sport on her own terms and skated into the Olympics with confidence and pure joy, winning gold and becoming the first American woman in decades to stand atop the podium.

Beyond the technical precision, people noticed her smile, the ease in her skating, and how much she genuinely seemed to love being there.

The energy she brought to the ice is inspiring people well outside the sport. Major League Soccer star Paul Rothrock shared that Alysa’s gold medal performance inspired him before a match where he went on to score and assist in his team’s first win of the season. Former quarterback Max Browne reflected on her comeback story, noting that stepping away can actually make you better. In Los Angeles, artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. turned her post-gold moment into a mural that now stretches across an entire wall.

In a sports culture that often rewards pushing through at all costs, Alysa did something different. She stepped away, tuned out the noise, and came back grounded in who she is and why she loves the sport.

02/22/2026

By now you probably know Alysa Liu won Olympic gold last night—the first American woman since 2002 to do it.

Everyone’s talking about her impressive comeback story…but I can’t stop thinking about what came before it.

Alysa was a bona fide skating prodigy: National champion at 13 (and 14!). World bronze medalist at 15. Olympian at 16. Graceful and powerful and bursting with talent.

She was the kind of young athlete adults get excited about and build futures around.

But after the Beijing Olympics (where she placed sixth), just when the world expected her to double down—she walked away.

Not because she couldn’t do it. Clearly, she could. She had.

But she was tired of having her life decided for her.

So she retired. She went on her first real vacation. Enrolled in college. Spent time with friends. And probably for the first time in her memory, she wasn’t skating.

Then on a ski trip a couple of years ago, she felt that familiar rush of adrenaline while flying down a snow-covered hill. And she wondered…could she find that on the ice, on her own terms?

So she came out of retirement. But this time, it was different.
She was different.

She decided what she wore. What she ate. What songs she skated to.

And she won.

First, the World Championships in 2025.
Then this week, Olympic gold in Milan.

If you’ve ever raised a teenager, Alysa’s story might make you a little uncomfortable.

Because a lot of us raise high achievers. Talented kids. Responsible kids. The kind of kids other people notice, and expect great things from.

And when you’re parenting that kind of child, pressure can be sneaky.

You don’t want them to waste their potential.

So when your teen says, “I don’t know if I want to do this anymore,” it almost feels personal.

It feels like scholarships and opportunities and years of investment hanging in the balance.

But Alysa Liu is a gentle reminder that it’s not about us.

There’s a difference between teaching our teens grit and teaching them to ignore their own hearts.

And I don’t want my kids to win at something and lose themselves in the process.

What I pray is they find the Alysa Liu inside.

To know they can step back.
To know they can choose.
To know their worth isn’t tied to achievement.

Because what the world saw in Milan wasn’t just talent—it was joy.

A young woman floating across the ice with a smile that said, “I’m here because I want to be.”

That’s the kind of win I want for my kids.

Well done, Alysa.

-Her View From Home

02/18/2026

🚗 Ride United: Free Lyft Rides for Essential Needs

United Way of Central Iowa is offering free Lyft rides to help residents of Polk, Dallas & Warren Counties get to essential services like:
• Medical appointments
• Job interviews & work
• Food pantries
• Housing & legal services
• School, daycare, library access

How it works:
1. Call 211 and ask for Ride United Central Iowa
2. 211 checks eligibility
3. A Lyft ride is dispatched if no other transportation is available

Learn more: https://www.unitedwaydm.org/impact/initiatives/ride-united

02/17/2026

Tomorrow, something begins that the world hasn't seen in nearly two decades. And it won't happen again until 2044.

Starting February 17, 2026, Earth enters what astronomers are calling a "golden age" of solar eclipses. Over the next three years, six solar eclipses will sweep across the planet: three "ring of fire" annular eclipses and three total solar eclipses, all between 2026 and 2028.

📌 Details of February 17 solar eclipse:

📍 Where:
Annular (Ring of Fire): Antarctica.
Partial: Southern South America (Chile, Argentina), Southern Africa, and parts of the Indian/Atlantic Oceans.

⏱ Timings (UTC):
• Eclipse begins: ~09:57
• Eclipse ends: ~14:27

During this event, the Moon will be slightly too far from Earth to fully cover the Sun, leaving behind a glowing ring of sunlight—one of the most beautiful solar sights possible 🔥

02/14/2026

On October 26th, a handful of monks stepped quietly onto the road in Fort Worth, Texas. No headlines. No grand announcement. Just intention… and silence.

For 108 days, they walked — barefoot, steady, and unwavering.
Across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia — until at last, they reached Washington, D.C.

They walked through heat and cold. Through highways and small towns. Through snow, wind, and rain.
And with every mile, something extraordinary happened.

Thousands joined them along the way.
Millions followed their steps online.
Police officers, churches, temples, and families opened their arms.
Strangers became supporters.
Observers became part of the journey.

The first photo shows where the path began.
The second shows how far peace can travel when it is carried with sincerity.

The miles are finished.
But the movement of hearts continues.

May you — and all beings — be safe, happy, and at peace. 🙏