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 →
‘Haters gonna hate!’
Everyone in my class had left. The prof had packed up too. I sat staring at my notebook for the longest time. When I was 18 or 19 and in college, I needed an elective, so I took an Introductory Religious Studies Class. I walked into the class thinking it would be a piece of... Continue Reading →
Breakfast with dad and Crocodile Rock
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 →
A new schedule!
My wife and I have a schedule. She races off in the morning to school. I work from home. We do our own thing and then later in the evening we come back together. We'll sit across from each other, both exhausted, but glad to see each other. We're like many other couples. We'll chat... Continue Reading →
A boy and his toys
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 →
The meaning of the season
Merry Christmas to you and yours. Peace be with you.
Mary, did you know?
(I first ran a version of this piece on Dec. 25, 2015) The song “Mary, Did You Know” ranks as one of my favorite songs of the season. When I heard the song years ago, it inspired me to imagine in my own words what it must have been like to walk in her shoes.... Continue Reading →
Trying to keep off the naughty list
My mom never had the chance to go to college. She never took a Psychology class and she never had a chance to sit in on a seminar on “how to win friends and influence others.” She grew up on an Amish farm and was forced to quit school after the eighth grade. Despite her... Continue Reading →
Santa makes a pit stop
(A version of this short story ran in December 2023. The story takes a look at what happens when bad weather forces Santa Claus to make a brief stop on his Christmas Eve journey.) Santa Claus looked down at the gauges on his sleigh. They were teetering close to the danger zone. The swirling snow... Continue Reading →

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