Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
Dear Santa, I can't believe it's been a year since we last talked. The news of the day has been trying. There's war. There's people struggling to get by. The world needs you now more than ever. We need your kindness and caring. We need your hope and optimism for a better tomorrow. Mostly, we... Continue Reading →
(The original version of this story ran in September 2022. I've made several updates.) I walked away with tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. I turned around to try my case before the judge and jury one more time, but my mom had enough of... Continue Reading →
My week started on an ominous note. I took a walk early on Monday. A good habit, right? That's what I thought, until out of nowhere, a black cat crossed my path. Every culture is different, but in Western cultures, black cats are often associated with bad luck. In some other places in the world,... Continue Reading →
(I first wrote this story in September 2020. I've made a few updates.) The young woman wore a white lab coat. She smiled back at me. Before she even said a word, I could see she had no idea what I had just asked. I was more than 3,900 miles from home and I was... Continue Reading →
In my dream, I'm hanging perilously out over the ledge of a rocky cliff. The wind is blowing. My arms ache but I don’t dare let go. I'm hanging onto the cliff by the slimmest of margins. I could fall at any moment. It's the classic scenario. Will I hold on? Or, will I fall... Continue Reading →
My memory is playing tricks on me. Here's what I know. It was the early 70s. We were at the beach and I was very young. We didn't go on a lot of vacations, which makes the memory stick out even more in my thoughts. On one of the vacation days, I remember being a... Continue Reading →
I feel a few things in my heart. Here's seven of them: --Despite a sea of hatred . . . Despite all the crummy news . . . Despite all of it, there's lots of good things happening all around us. More children and adults are able to attend school and get a quality education... Continue Reading →
I was like many little kids. I went through a phase where I loved big bulldozers, skidloaders, and backhoes trucks. I wanted nothing more than to play in the dirt. I had a metal Tonka dump truck and imagined that I was on a construction site and working just like the real people. I thought... Continue Reading →
My father enters the diner. Elton John's song Crocodile Rock fills the restaurant. He sees me in a corner booth and starts to make his way toward where I'm seated. He's careful to let the waitress pass with a tray full of food. He wears a heavy flannel shirt and jeans. The temperature is supposed... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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