My youngest son stretched-out on the couch. He was dressed and ready for school, but his eyes were closed. He was trying to get every little bit of sleep he could, before he had to head out the door. I looked down at him with a smile. I could relate. I was tired too, but... Continue Reading →
Climbing the monkey bars of parenthood
When my daughter was five or six-years old, she used to like to climb the ladder to the monkey bars or the hanging ropes at the local playground. She’d take a step or two, look back at me, and then go back to the ladder. One of her feet would inevitably get tangled or come... Continue Reading →
When I think of my kids
I thought of my daughter today. My sons were there too. They were all young, still in their pajamas and they were all lying on the living room floor, coloring in their coloring books, watching Saturday morning cartoons. I see all three of them clear as day. Two with wispy blond hair, the third with... Continue Reading →
Our last Christmas
When the third and final ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, in the classic novel, "A Christmas Carol," takes Ebenezer Scrooge to the churchyard and shows him his own grave stone, Scrooge is overwhelmed with fear and pleads with the spirit to give him another chance. He promises to turn a new leaf, to... Continue Reading →
A family of five
I have a bad habit. We’re a family in constant motion. We’re very rarely ever together anymore. Someone’s always off doing something, so when we go to a party or event, I inevitably get asked where one of my kids is. I’ve gotten into the habit of saying that we left the missing party along... Continue Reading →
Putting in my request for Father’s Day
I don’t need a new tie or a fancy new watch. I don’t need a new grill or any new barbecue utensils. I don’t need a t-shirt or coffee mug with "The World's Greatest Dad" stenciled in bold script. Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday and I don’t need or want any presents. In preparation... Continue Reading →
Trying to fall asleep on Christmas Eve
I couldn’t sleep. I turned to one side, then back to the other. I pulled my pillow over my head and clinched my eyes tight hoping that both would miraculously put me to sleep. I tried to count sheep, but nothing seemed to help put me into a blissful sleep. I was tired, but I... Continue Reading →
Making a connection at 65 mph
When my daughter was in high school several years ago, I had the job of driving her to school. I would use the miles to list out in my head all the things that I needed to get done that day. My to-do list always seemed to outnumber the number of hours in the day.... Continue Reading →
My five biggest parenting mistakes
I checked the calendar on my smartphone one more time. My coworker was running late. We were supposed to meet for coffee early in the morning before our schedules got too crazy. We needed to come to agreement on a key section of our project plan. He's normally an obsessively punctual person so I was... Continue Reading →

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