Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
I have a lifelong wish to travel to Ireland. But looking out from my deck on a scorching July afternoon, I realized something. I might never set foot on Irish soil, but a piece of that dream has been waiting for me right here in Pennsylvania all along.
(A version of this story first appeared on April 5, 2023 on The Heart of The Matter.) I would sit at the small desk, my back hunched over the best I could manage, and I would write out a sentence or two onto the page. I would stop, look at what I had written, and... Continue Reading →
I pulled up to the gas station the other day and the sign read $4.19 a gallon. I have to admit, I wasn't sure whether to laugh, cry, or celebrate. The price of gas has been up, it’s been down, and frankly, I never really know what to expect anymore. It seems to fluctuate based... Continue Reading →
We celebrate Father's Day this Sunday. When I think about the day, more often than not, I get flooded with a surge of memories. It's not just one memory, but a lifetime of them. Most of them are happy. A few are sad. I think of my life as a father, I think of my... Continue Reading →
(A version of this story first appeared on March 1, 2023 on The Heart of The Matter.) My wife has a simple wall hanging that she picked up on sale from Target or TJ Maxx or some home goods store. I'm not good at guessing prices, but I can’t imagine that she paid much for... Continue Reading →
Betsy Ross was down to her last nerve. Oh, you won't find this story in any history book but legend has it that General George Washington visited Betsy in her Philadelphia upholstery business and flag shop in May 1776. Washington, along with two other men — financier Robert Morris and Colonel George Ross, her late husband's... Continue Reading →
Memorial Day is a solemn day of remembrance set aside to honor those who gave their lives in service. We owe these heroes our gratitude. The U.S. would be nowhere without these men and women. I plan to take a few minutes later today to pay my respects. Memorial Day also has a more "casual,... Continue Reading →
(A version of this story first appeared on January 4, 2023 on The Heart of the Matter.) I learned about death the hard way. One day in the early 1970s, my mom picked me up from the neighbor lady who watched me during the day. When we got home, she told me that Shep, our... Continue Reading →
I could barely make out my youngest son's voice in the rear seat of the car. I switched off the radio and the air conditioner to hear him better. He couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 years old. It had to be one of the most surreal scenes in my life. In his... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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