Jen was frustrated with me. We were talking about something that was on going for two months. I was giving her bits and pieces. She asked a question. I'd go back into something I told her about 4 weeks before and talk about that. She asked another question. I fast forward to another conversation we had a week after the conversation that I went back into for the previous question she asked. Then I came back to the present. Confusing! Pieces of the puzzle were all over the … [Read more...]
Just tell the story
June 2, 2012 by
Jen looked at me frustratedly. I sighed deeply, exasperated. We'd been talking for 10 minutes getting nowhere. She cried out, "This is going all over the place. Just tell me what happened!" Another sigh released from me. I went to the beginning of the story. Two months ago, I drove over a ditch left uncovered by a construction crew. It was nighttime. When the car struck the ditch it surprised the shit out of me as felt the front slam thunderously. The rims on … [Read more...]
The under-used, not so secret way to a life of riches
April 4, 2012 by
I was on my way out the door this morning. Jen grabbed me. She took me by my shoulders. She put me square in front of her. She looked me dead in the eye. And started speaking. "Thank you for getting Ellie up this morning and starting to feed her.""Thank you for taking care of Evie.""Thank you for making the bottles.""Thank you for making lunches.""Thank you for putting toothpaste on my toothbrush.""Thank you for filling my perfume bottle."My eyes moistened. My breathing … [Read more...]
Wish You Were Here
April 3, 2012 by
I get lost in the act of wishing. I wish I played tennis more. I wish I were more extroverted. I wish I played guitar better. I wish I did a better job of marketing this blog. I wish those jeans I got a couple of years ago weren't so tight. I wish I were more comfortable (and effective) at networking. I wish that I wrote (and published) more often. I wish I were taller. I wish I called my mom more often. I wish I didn't have a commute. I wish I had published a book by now. I wish I … [Read more...]
How amazing is your grace?
January 24, 2012 by
Familiarity breeds contempt. Spend more time with someone and you'll get jaded. You'll take things for granted, and get angry over smaller things. Hot buttons will emerge. They'll be easier to punch as time goes on. This is probably why marriage can be so hard. It's easier to forgive the waitress who screwed up your food order than it is the wife who forgot to put the cap back on the toothpaste ... again. Grace doesn't dwell well in a world of presumed outcomes. We force grace out of … [Read more...]
Reach out and touch someone
January 23, 2012 by
More people are watching porn than ever before. A recent poll showed that 79% of people are consuming porn nowadays. It was in the 30% range in 1983. The studies also show people are having less sex. They are masturbating more. We are a lazy species. We will do the thing that costs us the least. Contact and direct interaction are expensive. They require real-time emotional engagement. They require processing of non-verbal nuance. They require empathy and awareness. This is one … [Read more...]
How nourishing is your life?
January 5, 2012 by
Ellie, the younger twin, was fighting the bottle. She'd take the nipple. Chew and suck. Then spit out milk and pout. It was frustrating. Jen took her. Ten minutes later the bottle was emptied. I asked Jen what she did to make Ellie eat. She told me. I barely believed her. She did it again the next time. It worked. And it still does. Jen encouraged Ellie. She'd tell her in a sweet voice how good she was being and what a good little eater she was. Ellie ate. No … [Read more...]
How are you preparing for the parade?
December 28, 2011 by
We looked at each other. The babies crying in the background. "Should we respond?" We created a routine to help the babies learn to sleep. Sometimes that meant letting them cry for a few minutes. It was hard. Very hard. On Christmas Eve, we woke up. The babies slept through the night. 9 weeks old (5 weeks based on full term). Mission accomplished! I'd mention we wanted the babies to sleep through the night as our Christmas present. People would scoff at me. They told me I … [Read more...]
