Mother's Day started at 3:41 am. "Eric, the air conditioner isn't blowing cold air." Jen and I get up. We walk through the house. I fumble with the thermostat. Jen checks outside to see if the unit is freezing (that happened a few years ago). We don't find anything wrong. I'm tired and frustrated. "What am I supposed to do to fix this at 3:41 am?", I think to myself. My lack of HVAC competency increases my irritability. Latent insecurity belies a lousy attitude. Powerless to … [Read more...]
Action Is the Stuff of Heroes
April 24, 2018 by
I stepped out of the house through the screen door on to the front steps. "Daddy do you want to play ball with us?" asked one of my twin 6-year-olds, Evie. I answered, "Of course!" I walked on to the lawn. It was the first time we'd all been outside playing together. Evie jumped jubilantly. She cried out, "Hooray! We're having family time!!!" The girls are at an age where they can start interacting like real people when they're not talking about poop. It's fun. It's rewarding. Too … [Read more...]
Don’t Feel Like It? Do It Anyway!
April 17, 2018 by
"You don't get what you want by doing what you want," I told her. This might be a bit advanced for a six-year-old. This is the hand my kids were dealt. A dad who speaks in platitudes. A dad who tries to program his kids with a way of thinking that makes their life easier in the long run by doing what's hard in the short run. Sometimes I have to listen to my own advice. I wrote about what I learned about smiling last week. This weekend, I learned I need to persist when I don't feel like it. I … [Read more...]
The Cost of Growing Up
March 15, 2018 by
I leaned over and put my face in front of hers. I looked her in the eyes. I told her, "I miss you." She lit up. Evie's one of my 6-year-old girls. She showed me on a calendar that she was off school next week (Spring Break). She talked about us spending more time together next week. I said, I'm working next week, but I'll be around more and we can spend more time together. She said, "You're the best daddy ever." I told her I was sorry I wasn't seeing more of her. I'm working a … [Read more...]
The Power of Gratitude
March 7, 2018 by
I schedule to leave for my kids PTA meeting and singing performance at 4. I maintain a weak boundary. Two conversations and a couple of emails later I leave at 4:36. I'm harried. I get to the glass doors to leave. The sky opened up between the time I planned to leave and the time I finally leave. The rain is Biblical. It pours with ferocity. I walk 200 yards to my car. My pants and shoes are drenched. My boxers are wet; despite using an umbrella. I drive through the deluge. I make it home. … [Read more...]
Can You Get Better By Grace?
September 18, 2017 by
T The blood drained from my face. I felt ashamed. I thought she was texting. I snarled, "Is that related to what we're working on now?" Michelle looked up. Taken aback and off balance, she replied , "I'm taking notes on what you're saying so I can remember later. I didn't want to take down the presentation I'm projecting to take notes." I apologized. Michelle said, "It's okay." "No, it's not," I replied. I apologized again. "It's fine." Again, I said, "No, it's not." … [Read more...]
You Think You’re Present Until This Happens
September 11, 2017 by
Embed from Getty Images I start each day with a thimble full of patience. The thimble was empty. We decided the day would be TV free for the girls - we have twin 5 year olds. Instead we'd listen to music, sort out the Legos and the playroom and review language and letters. The kids were good all day. Yes, they fought with each other from time to time. Other than the occasional scream or whine, they were good. But the sounds never stopped. I learned how much we've relied … [Read more...]
Change Is Gonna Come
September 1, 2017 by
I read the quote nearly every day. It dangles at the bottom of his emails. Each time I read it, I feel a flush of regret of the inertia in the past and present; the dread of a future where the truth of the quote compounds with interest. The quote reads: "Every day you don’t do something, it makes it less likely that you will ever do something." What gets in the way of the doing something is either a lack of clarity of purpose or a lack of faith. Some may be uncomfortable with the … [Read more...]
Today Is A Good Day for No Words
July 8, 2016 by
Reid said, "I normally don't have a loss for words." I replied awkwardly, looking for something to say. "Today's a good day for no words." Reid was at the Peace Rally the night before. He drove out of the parking garage, where one of the snipers was setup, 25 minutes before the assault on the police and protesters began. It's the day after five police officers were killed in Dallas. My wife, Jen, and I were at the noon prayer vigil at Thanks-giving Square in downtown Dallas. This is … [Read more...]
