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 →
In This House
(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 and the Three Moochers (Why the Flag Has 5-Pointed Stars)
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 →
You scream, we all scream . . . for ice cream
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 →
My first brush with death
(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 →
A future so bright . . .
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 →
A fish out of water
My wife is a special education teacher and sometimes pulls me into her world. Talk about a fish out of water. Oh I listen when my wife talks about her job and I've had my own educational experiences, but I'm most definitely in unfamiliar waters. So you can imagine my thoughts when she asked me... Continue Reading →
My mom lied
My mom lied to me. I'm talking a "liar, liar, pants on fire" lie. A big one. Right up there with The Grinch's lie to Cindy Lou Who that he was Santa Claus and he was taking her family's Christmas tree to his workshop to fix a broken light from the 1957 book, How the... Continue Reading →
12 cassettes for a penny revisited!
I reviewed the list of record albums like my life depended on it. I'd put one album on my list and then take two others off. I had been going at it for forty minutes. I had no plans to stop anytime soon. I kept going back and forth. Eagles Live, check. The new band,... Continue Reading →

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