Writing from the Heart with Brian
Think, Laugh, & Cry Each Day
My parents were strict with my two brothers and me growing up. My mother had a way of simply looking at you that sent shivers down your spine. You never wanted to disappoint her. She tended to keep her rules short and to the point. We were taught to be kind, respectful and helpful to... Continue Reading →
My mother brought me up right. She taught my brothers and me that anytime you travel somewhere — could be to visit a longtime friend or an acquaintance, it doesn't matter — you should always bring a gift. The size of the gift didn't matter, could be a simple as some homemade cookies, but no... Continue Reading →
I love people. I really do. Friendly ones and “stay off my lawn” ones, chatty ones and quiet ones, me-first ones and helper ones — the world is full of many different types and I like them all. However, my internal gas gauge is running on fumes. The gauge is placed firm on the E... Continue Reading →
My son got a record player last year and it’s been fun talking with him about music across the decades and albums he should collect. There’s been talk of classic must-have albums like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and new ones like The Weekend. (Over his break, he didn’t really care for my wife’s suggestion... Continue Reading →
One of the small, but important things I forgot, but then relearned when I had kids was the magical powers of hot chocolate. My kids used to especially love hot chocolate this time of year, as we drove around looking at Christmas lights or built gingerbread houses or drank it just as a warm treat.... Continue Reading →
My wife asked me to go with her to a craft store to look at some Christmas decorations. For a lot of guys, this could've been torture. I try to take a longer view. My wife gets to shop and get decorating ideas, while I get to spend some time chit-chatting with her and get... Continue Reading →
I walked in the front door of our house and knew what was coming. My mom took one look at me and yelled out my name. She wanted to know what I had done to my jeans. I went to school with two fresh iron-on patches on the knees. My mom had fixed them the... Continue Reading →
I start out every December with high hopes. Once my wife and I have put up the Christmas tree and have completed decorating the inside of our house, I'll walk down to the back of our basement. I pull out the Christmas boxes, dusty from sitting unmoved from the previous year, and I say to... Continue Reading →
I tweaked my back the other day and was floored. I tried to lift a Christmas box in our basement, heard a crack in my back, and instantly fell to the ground with deep spasms of pain streaking across my lower back. Um, help. If I was in an old western movie, I would've told... Continue Reading →
Writing from the Heart with Brian 
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