Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
When my middle son was in first grade, he found a little yellow frog in our toy box. It was one of those small toys that you get out of a coin-operated vending machine. For a three week period, the 50 cent toy meant the world to him. He carried it with him wherever he... Continue Reading →
My wife and I went to a minor league baseball game recently. It was a fun date night. We got a couple of burgers. We shared a soft pretzel. We were both tired when we got home. I unlocked the front door and we paused and looked at each other at the same time before... Continue Reading →
I've had a few challenges in recent weeks. It's been nothing earth-shattering, just the usual work and home highs and lows that we all face. For whatever reason, I was getting a little down in the dumps the other day. My breaking point came as I was looking over several bills that came in the... Continue Reading →
I cranked the red launcher. I revved it as fast and as far as it would go. The seven-inch tall Evel Knievel on his red, white, and blue stunt cycle flew across the porch and onto the ramp. I had created the ramp using an old piece of wood that I had "borrowed" from my... Continue Reading →
(A version of this post ran on October 2021.) My son stops halfway up our stairs and then turns to come back downstairs. He thanks us for letting him have his friends over for a late-night fire in the yard and chat about music. He lets out a big yawn and comes over to my... Continue Reading →
When ESPN honored former college basketball coach and announcer Jim Valvano with its Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award in 1993, his body was ravaged by cancer. He was so weak from the illness that he considered skipping the event. He feared he wouldn't be able to walk up the six or seven steps from... Continue Reading →
I write today on the Heart of the Matter in my story, You don't have to Try, about how I stumbled across Colbie Caillet's song Try for the first time and how it moved me to put down my guard. I stopped worrying about fitting in and instead focused on just being myself. In the... Continue Reading →
When I was in fourth grade, I hated going to school. I was the kid with his head down on his desk, looking up every few minutes, praying for the clock to tick down to the end of the day. I struggled with Math and English wasn't much better. And of course, my grades suffered.... Continue Reading →
New York Times Best Selling Author Stephen King is known for his horror novels that scare the bejesus out of us and give us nightmares. He's an expert in fear and the unknown. Instead of fear, though, I love his thoughts on another human experience: laughter. He wrote that "You can’t deny laughter; when it... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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