The Everyday Human

Eastin DeVerna
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Books

Welcome to the Everyday Human podcast.  My name is Eastin DeVerna. Each day, I'll share a reflection written by me and inspired by literature, poetry, music, movies, video games, and more. And after that, I'll share a prompt for you to write your own reflection. Together, we'll explore what it means to be human. Every month we'll walk a new path, taking a look at life, death, the universe, and everything in between. Thanks for coming along. For more, visit eastindeverna.com or join me on Instagram @the_everydayhuman.

  1. 9h ago

    The Root of the Tree of Life

    July: On Family July 31 This is a simple one.  Love is what it all comes down to.  It makes all the difference. It makes us who we are. And wherever you find love— —you find family. Reflection title: The Root of the Tree of LifeCreative inspiration:  Fred Rogers, Won’t You Be My NeighborReflection question: How am I bringing my love into the world? How am I helping others become who they are with my love?

  2. 1d ago

    Billions of Moments

    July: On Family July 30 Out of a whole life of moments—about 2.5 billion if you count each second as a moment and live to 80—birth and death only make up for two (give or take a few). Granted, they are two very important ones. That leaves a whole lot of space in between. And in those in-between moments, you’ll of course find joy and sorrow, pain and pleasure, loss and gain—and every blend and nuance of these emotions and experiences. You’ll have high highs and low lows, and that’s all well and good. But the one thing (if you’re lucky enough to find it) that can make those moments truly special, is experiencing them with another—that person you love unconditionally and who unconditionally loves you, whoever it might be. Your world entire. Now, I understand some people have set out searching for this and feel they haven’t found it. I understand some people feel they have had it and lost it. It’s a complicated thing, no doubt about it—what isn’t in life? I guess what I want to say is that if you’ve had it and lost it, I’m glad you had it for however long. If you have it, I hope you hold on to it. And if you’re searching for it, I hope you find it. Or if you’re okay with being alone and you find happiness and contentment in yourself and in nature—that’s fine, too. I hope you find joy and peace in more than just a few of those billions of moments between birth and death. Reflection title: Billions of MomentsCreative inspiration:  Cormac McCarthy, The RoadReflection question: Who is my world entire? Who am I living out my moments with that makes it all worth it?

  3. 2d ago

    It’s Okay To Not Know

    July: On Family July 29 Anytime you learn something new (and I hope you’re always trying to learn something new), you’re bound to make mistakes. I try to teach this lesson to my daughter every day. She likes to get things right and can be hard on herself when she doesn’t nail it right away. But it’s also a lesson for me as a parent. This is something brand new for me, and each day brings new challenges—some of which I anticipate, and some I never see coming. I’m bound to mess up here and there. It’s natural. It’s human. Especially when it comes to family. And if you’re not a parent, you can apply this same idea to any relationship—those with your own parents, siblings, cousins, friends, colleagues, whoever. So try your best. Enjoy your wins. Acknowledge and learn from your mistakes.  You just have to want it, but more than that, work toward getting it right more than you get it wrong. And be okay with not knowing and making plenty of mistakes along the way. Reflection title: It’s Okay To Not KnowCreative inspiration:  Robin Hobb, Fool's AssassinReflection question: Can I admit I don’t always know what I’m doing when it comes to being a parent, son or daughter, or sibling? Am I still trying to learn while maintaining humility?

  4. 3d ago

    The Unending Story

    July: On Family July 28 You’ll get these results, or hear these stories and they’ll hit you with the shock that comes with learning that what you believed to be true was, in fact, a lie. And it’s not just the facts that shake you—it’s the feeling of being lost, of not knowing who you are, or where you came from, or who your loved ones really are. As the days pass, you’ll have question upon question, all piling up a mile high, like letters to god. And maybe you’re trying, maybe you’re waiting for answers—why did it happen this way? What does it mean? What does it change? The truth is, you might get some answers as you search, but chances are, you won’t—at least not all of the answers you seek. Can things like this change a relationship? Can they change the love that exists or existed within a family? Change the past experiences of joy and sorrow and pleasure and pain? Again—it could. If you let it. Like much in life, it’s out of your control. All you can do is decide what you’ll do with the information and choose how to live your life moving forward. But I tend to think that it’s just a piece of that beautiful and messy map. But now, it’s your turn to chart. It’s your uncharted territory to explore. And it might be that while you’re navigating the fog-covered waters of the map of your family that you feel lost and like you’ll never find land, but maybe you’re simply somewhere new . . . maybe you’re at a new beginning in the unending and grand story of things. Reflection title: The Unending StoryCreative inspiration:  Angels & Airwaves, "Letters to God Pt. II"Reflection question: How have I reacted to truths that turned out to be lies? Am I seeking answers that will never come in regards to my family? How will I choose to live moving forward?

  5. 4d ago

    They Shop at Bodegas! They Lace Up Their Shoes!

    July: On Family July 27 The day inevitably comes when you find your mother or father or parental figure crying at the kitchen table after learning their mother has passed. Or when they mutter the words, “I don’t know what we’re gonna do,” when watching the bills rack up higher and higher with no way out. And on that day, you'll learn that they’re just human: delicate and vulnerable patchworks of hopes and fears and dreams and love. So whatever stage you’re at in life, and whatever relationship you have with your parents, whether they’re still here or not, try and spare a little grace for the fact that they are, in fact, just like us. Reflection title: They Shop at Bodegas! They Lace Up Their Shoes!Creative inspiration:  Paul Auster, 4 3 2 1Reflection question: Am I showing grace for my parents (or parental figures), understanding they are human, too, carrying all of the complexities that come with it?

  6. 5d ago

    Be There for Them

    July: On Family July 26 Your family, your closest friends—those who you should have the most patience for. It’s always easiest to hurt the ones you love.  Maybe because you know they love you back and you take it for granted that they’re there and in your life in the first place and you just expect them to be there every day for the rest of it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. You can push them too far, just as they can push you—it happens all the time—to the point of breaking. To the point where someone has just plain old had enough and says it’s time to move on. But if that love is real, and you know when it is, you have to do everything in your power to practice patience, to uncover the truth of why you’re acting the way you are, or help them figure it out for themselves just the same. Keeping up those levels of empathy isn’t always easy, but these are your people. You need them, and they need you. Attention must be paid.  Reflection title: Be There for ThemCreative inspiration:  Arthur Miller, Death of a SalesmanReflection question: Who in my close circle of family and friends do I find myself losing patience with? Am I there for them like they’d be there for me?

  7. 6d ago

    Voice of the Gods, Voice of the Devils

    July: On Family July 25 While some parents might speak with that voice and impart the wisdom and benevolence of the gods, let’s not forget that the cycle is not just that of good . . . but also of evil. And since humans are flawed, and some are fated or choose to carry out evil deeds, they will impart not some holy wisdom and righteousness, but instead a kind of profane ignorance and malevolence. And even if that is the case for some poor child being raised in such an environment—and the sad truth is that this happens—it does not mean that the child must or will carry that dark torch forward into the future. They can escape it by a will of their own and with the help of others.   So as a parent or model figure in a child’s life, you must remember and be wary of the sheer power your voice carries.  What you do and say will carry great weight in the cycle, so make the choice: what will you pass down to the future generations?  Because your words, your voice—the voice of the gods—can quickly become the voice of the devils. Reflection title: Voice of the Gods, Voice of the Devils Creative inspiration:  Lewis Theobald, Double Falsehood; or, The Distrest LoversReflection question: Do I understand the power of my voice and actions? What will I choose to impart to be carried on to future generations?

  8. Jul 24

    Family Tragedy or Family Joke

    July: On Family July 24 Instead of confronting family skeletons or secrets, do you try to stuff them down? Keep the secret(s) safe and bury that skeleton in the sump behind the house in the woods? I think you know the outcome of this option. That thing will stick its rotting, maggot-eaten hands and head through the dirt, dragging itself back out into the light and the open air for all to see and try to take you down with it. Or do you turn that tragedy into a joke? It doesn’t have to be a haha so funny joke—because, rarely, are any of the skeletons actually funny. No, what we’re talking about here is taking that skeleton and looking it dead in its dead eyes and saying, “I know what you are. I know what you did. I know you’re family—my family—and I can’t escape you, but I’m not trying to anymore. Instead, I’m learning from you—I’m learning what I will never do, and will never become, so thank you very much for teaching that. Now, did you hear about the time the rabbi, priest, and the writer walked into a bar . . . ?”  You smile, you don’t deny it—you ask it to dinner and ask it to dance and say, “Look here, everyone! This is our family skeleton!” You let it know that you know. Then, perhaps, you can laugh at it, at yourself, and at the absurdity of it all and of an imperfect family—and move on. Reflection title: Family Tragedy or Family JokeCreative inspiration:  George Bernard Shaw, Immaturity (or source unknown/uncertain)Reflection question: What family skeletons have I tried to bury? Is it time I dig them up and face—and laugh at—them?

See All (214)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Everyday Human podcast.  My name is Eastin DeVerna. Each day, I'll share a reflection written by me and inspired by literature, poetry, music, movies, video games, and more. And after that, I'll share a prompt for you to write your own reflection. Together, we'll explore what it means to be human. Every month we'll walk a new path, taking a look at life, death, the universe, and everything in between. Thanks for coming along. For more, visit eastindeverna.com or join me on Instagram @the_everydayhuman.

Information

  • Creator
    Eastin DeVerna
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    214
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Everyday Human
  • Show Website
    The Everyday Human