Finding Mary

At 5:02 AM an alert, set to the Stress tone, sounded in my mind. Heart racing, breaths coming in shallow bursts, a long list of impossible to-dos running through my mind, I greeted the day. I threw back the covers and put feet to the floor of my bedroom by night, office by day. I strode to the kitchen where I filled a mug with 16 ounces of strong, black coffee, then returned to bed, phone next to me on the nightstand.

I reached for the phone, as has become my habit.

Email and social media as...