8 Words a Week: July 5 2026

Here's this week's 8 words:

1. Miles
2. Feather
3. Dashboard
4. Punch
5. Rocking Chair
6. Piano
7. Porch
8. Steep

Share your 8 words below in the comments or share what you create using one or all of these words.

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This week, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own brain's logic and sharing the deeper meanings behind these 8 words. This list is a prime example of how a few random words can expand into a deep journal entry for memory keeping and storytelling.

When I was writing this list, the song "Call Your Mom" by Noah Kahan & Lizzy McAlpine played on shuffle. Instantly, I was transported back to my 20s–standing in a field, watching a belligerently drunk dude punch my son's father in the nose because we tried to stop them from driving. One of the words from the lyrics of the song that stood out to me was "Miles".

At the same time, the word Punch carries a completely different flavor. It takes me back to my grandma's house and the magic of 1980s summers. She made a famous fruit punch with ginger ale, orange sherbet, orange juice concentrate, and grape juice. Every Sunday, we’d sit on her back Porch husking corn to feed a massive crowd of family and friends.

The song also sparked the phrase "dashboard confessional"—which flooded me with memories of sitting in parked cars having late-night, heavy talks through the years (and gave me a spark for a whole new playlist).

As for the rest of the list, the words are grounded right in the present moment:

• Feather: Ray found a wild turkey feather on our porch this week—a little physical reminder to stay present.
• Piano: This goes back to the porch vibe. I was looking at my Aunt Vera's chocolate cake recipe, which she gave my dad at the same time she gifted him a massive, heavy old player piano. That piano actually lived right on my parents' porch for years.
• Steep: This is a nod to the steep hill we live on, but also to the batch of iced tea I steeped yesterday—a must-have summer staple.
  

I love how 8 words can travel in so many wild directions. When you first read the list, I'm sure your mind didn't go to drunk driving interventions or orange sherbet punch!

Sometimes your 8 words won't connect at all, and that is perfectly okay. You don't even have to write a backstory like this. But when you let your brain chase the threads, it's an incredibly introspective ride. I hope this peek into my notebook inspires you to chase yours this week!