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MY MOM THE MOTHER IN LAW

April 29, 2022 by

After a recent mother in law conversation I ended up disappointing myself. Why? Because I took the easy way out with the customary role, traditional values, and ducked the whole thing. Not that I don’t have plenty to say about mothers in law. My dates introduced me to the moms and dads more than a […]

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PERSONAL GOLIATHS AND HOW TO SLAY THEM

April 24, 2022 by

My first personal Goliaths, like most everyone growing up with parents, were my parents. I knew they were unslayable from the start. One because they were giants most of my early life, and two, they were my parents. What are you thinking? Besides, my dad had been a Marine Drill Instructor and my mom was […]

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LIFE SAVING FOR THE GIVERS AND TAKERS

April 9, 2022 by

Life saving is more than a job at the swimming pool. It’s an everyday deal of doing small things that go unnoticed, until it matters. Then it’s everything. Where are the life savers when you need them, the people who take the time even when they’re running late? Who are these people? I think you […]

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DIE WRITING, OR DIE TRYING?

January 9, 2022 by

Who wants to die writing? A yes answer means one thing: Death is a metaphor. Unless it’s s sudden death and they keel over on their keyboard, no writer dies writing. But something does die in a writer who does everything they can to succeed before giving up. Who’s ever done that? One comes to […]

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PARENTAL ADVICE FROM THE HISTORY OF ALL PARENTAL ADVICE

December 21, 2021 by

Parental advice is best served as a hand-me-down plate. That is, tell your kids what your parents told you so they’ll know what to tell their kids. Sound complicated? It’s not. Instead, it is listening, listening and understanding. It goes like this:

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RAW EMOTIONS: HELLO AND GOODBYE, AIRPORT VS HOSPITAL

October 29, 2021 by

Raw emotions, unrehearsed moments of reality, happen in two places: The airport and the hospital. That’s where hello and goodbye emotions live that no one plans for. A hospital visit turns into a gut wrenching ordeal. An airport drop-off turns into the saddest day ever. Is there anything to do to prepare for this? No, […]

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DAD VALUE: THE MISSING INGREDIENT IN FAMILY RECIPE

August 31, 2021 by

Dad value fluctuates day to day, but one thing is certain: Father’s make a difference. Disagree? Then ask someone you know without a dad, or never knew their dad. I read an article about being raised with love and how it makes a difference when you love someone raised on survival. Had we known then […]

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NEEDING MORE: HOW TO CONTROL THAT EMPTY FEELING

July 27, 2021 by

Needing more of something depends on age. Kids needing more kid stuff like their friends; young people need more experience than they’ve had time to acquire; old people need more time to figure out what they missed along the way. We’re needy from the start. Babies need more mom and dad time, grandparents need more […]

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FATHER’S DAY FROM OLD DAD TO NEW DAD ALL TOGETHER

June 18, 2021 by

Father’s Day comes every year, but that first one is something else. A new dad on his day lays the groundwork of tradition for every Father’s Day for the next fifty years. Will it be like a birthday? Christmas? Or eventually just another day on the calendar? The easy answer: It depends on the kids. […]

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MARKING TIME WITH A GANG OF MOMS AND KIDS

April 2, 2021 by

I was marking time just the other day with my young kids running around like we were having the best day in our lives. Then they were at the bus stop waiting for their first day of school. I must have blinked. One of the joys of being a parent is seeing kids through their […]

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