My mom lied to me. I'm talking a "liar, liar, pants on fire" lie. A big one. Right up there with The Grinch's lie to Cindy Lou Who that he was Santa Claus and he was taking her family's Christmas tree to his workshop to fix a broken light from the 1957 book, How the... Continue Reading →
The reward of stepping back
My natural reaction sets in. I want to jump in and get results. I want to take charge. I want to give a few directions and solve the problem, large or small. If need be, I want to throw good old hard work and some elbow grease at the problem to make it go away.... Continue Reading →
The baby’s heart beat
(I first ran this story in 2017. My babies are grown now. But, I've never stopped worrying about them.) Last week when I was rifling through a box in our basement, I found an old calendar. I started to push it aside, but something caught my eye. My wife must have had an appointment with... Continue Reading →
No talking back!
(The original version of this story ran in September 2022. I've made several updates.) I walked away with tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. I turned around to try my case before the judge and jury one more time, but my mom had enough of... Continue Reading →
Making it home
I'm happy this time of year. Oh, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but it's more than that. I love families coming together. I love that college students start coming back to the nest today and later next week. My son, our youngest, will arrive home later this evening. I probably won't see him... Continue Reading →
Take a back seat Dad!
(I first published this story in January 2018. My kids are grown now, but the lesson I learned from this experience still rings true.) When my sons participated in the Cub Scouts, the pack would always have a Christmas party. The celebration was always a ton of fun, until the very end of the evening.... Continue Reading →
Faith of a child revisited
I ran this story in October 2016. My son was 12 years old and complaining about life's demands. It's interesting to look back on our conversation. He's a senior in college now. I doubt he'd want to go back in time. Funny though. I'd go back in a heartbeat -- just to see him at... Continue Reading →
Ghosts of parenting past
I was walking recently on a trail near our house. It swings around the local middle school tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and football fields. At one point, I stopped on the path and listened. There was a light rain and I was alone on the trail. In the mist, I thought I heard the crack... Continue Reading →
Kids and their toys
Sometimes I wish I was a kid again. Oh, I'm not saying kids have it easier today, because I don't think they do. They have it rough. They face poverty and hunger. According to UNICEF, around 333 million children live in extreme poverty. They face societal pressures and bullying and depression too. It's a tough time to be... Continue Reading →

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