My wife had Christmas songs playing on the stereo. I'm sure Michael Bublé was somewhere on the playlist. Insert face palm here. How can I compete with that? Yes, I'm straying from my story. In any event, the Thanksgiving turkey was fresh from the oven and the house was full of robust smells. The table... Continue Reading →
Some Mountain State love
We had barely pulled into Morgantown for a visit with our son, a freshman at West Virginia University, when he had asked us to make a Target run. When we got back to his dorm, he pulled the shopping bags out of our SUV like they were coming off an assembly line, handing them out... Continue Reading →
Love you forever
When our kids were young, we used to read them the book “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw. The mother in the story holds her new baby and slowly rocks him back and forth, singing: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you for always, as long as I’m living my... Continue Reading →
Renewing our vows
Here’s your invite. Mark it down now. My wife wants to renew our vows next fall when we celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. She wants to throw a party. She wants to have our friends over and have a few drinks, dance a little, (sorry we prefer the slower stuff to today’s dance music), and celebrate.... Continue Reading →
An unexpected anniversary present
My wife gave me the dreaded “It’s not you, it’s me” speech last weekend. I couldn’t believe her timing. We were traveling 75 mph on Route 95, the main north-south Interstate Highway, outside of Washington, DC, a flurry of cars, SUVs, and big rigs on either side of us, and out of the blue she... Continue Reading →
A daughter’s trust
The little girl ran ahead of her mom in the airport, trying to catch up to her dad. She couldn’t have been older than three or four. When she ran, she kept looking all around her, amazed by the rush of people, the bright sun shining in from the high windows, and the restaurants and... Continue Reading →
Trying on a new hat
I wear a lot of hats in my life. I’m a husband and father. They’re my two favorite hats. There’s the worker hat, but I have others too. I'm the family gardener and plumber. With the kids gone, I spend an hour or two each week mowing and taking care of the yard and I’m... Continue Reading →
Fairy tale endings
Actor and director John Krasinski rose to fame playing Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom The Office, but he came close to never making it to Hollywood. Krasinski moved to New York after college to seek out his big break. He had been there two years and was ready to give up on his dream.... Continue Reading →
Marriage is not a 50/50 partnership
I got off the video conference and sat on the sofa wiped out. My call went longer than I expected and the day had been a draining one. When I did get up, I walked to the kitchen, looked at the messy sink and overflowing trash can, considered cleaning them up, and then grabbed a... Continue Reading →

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