I’m a storyteller who tries to make sense of everything life throws at us, and maybe even find the humor in things.
The playground as a kid could be a cruel place. We all tend to have a horror story or two about getting picked last to play kickball or so-called friends ratting out our secrets to the rest of the kids playing during recess. Saying all that, friendships seemed to come much easier when we were … More Finding your people
When I was in elementary school, I got an invite for a friend’s birthday party. I should have been excited about the invite, and I was, but I was nervous too. The party was going to be a sleepover. I remember worrying that my friends would figure out my deep, dark secret. I was scared … More Scared of the dark
When we brought our daughter home from the hospital as a newborn, her skin was a yellowed jaundice color and she had problems keeping anything down. Infant jaundice usually occurs because a baby’s liver isn’t mature enough to get rid of bilirubin, a yellow pigment of red blood cells, in the bloodstream. The doctor told … More Collecting seashells
My wife and I led our three kids, who were all relatively young at the time, off the crowded shuttle and walked quietly back to our hotel room. We were all exhausted. We had gotten to the resort theme park early in the morning and had spent the day, staying until the fireworks and laser … More Keeping joy simple
I’m not looking forward to the drive. It’s a long one. We’ll be on the road for four to five hours. I wouldn’t call it dread, but I’m not jumping for joy either. My son, though, has been counting down the days. In a week and a half, my wife and I will be driving … More A different kind of joy
I walk carefully along the river’s edge, careful to watch my step. The water is crisp, clear and fast-moving. If I fell in, I’m pretty sure I’d be a quarter mile upstream before I knew it. I follow a path to two big rocks looking out over the river. I take a break and sit … More Casting another line
My wife asked me to run a few errands last week. I had to drive on a busy four-lane highway near where I live and was rounding a curve when I started to veer into the left lane. The Lane Departure Warning in my car detected that I was drifting out of my lane and flashed … More Drifting out of my lane
I caught a glimpse of one of the gremlins out of the corner of my right eye and tried to give him a good whack with the back of my hand. Of course, he was too quick for me. He disappeared in a flash. When I looked back up five minutes later, I saw two … More Rounding up the gremlins
I find a quiet place in the house, close my eyes and try a few minutes of meditation, letting my thoughts relax and wander. Later I might organize my desk or even go for a walk and make a list of everything that I’m grateful for in my life. And oh, yes, I will most certainly … More Life’s a beach
You can work on improving your purpose and focus. You can work on your discipline and work ethic. You can even work on your trustworthiness and integrity. But when it comes to resilience, get ready for more than a few challenges. We’ve been writing this month on The Heart of the Matter on resilience. Many … More Losing my patience!
The Heart of the Matter 