I couldn’t take the same paths my mom traveled because that would mean acknowledging her choices and agreeing with them. I’m thirteen years old, riding in the backseat of my parents’ Chevrolet Celebrity with my sister. We are headed south…

And then one day it happened. I would be tested to see just how great a Grandpa I really was. I wasn’t lucky enough to have had a real relationship with my grandparents. By the time I was born, my…

We schemed, we triumphed, we loved hopelessly, all the facets of life as set forth by the Bard. The foam swords are non-negotiable. Discount-store toys from years gone by; they reside in the serious, mission-style umbrella stand in my entryway.…

That’s the thing about reading, be it fiction or non-fiction, it flings open a portal into other worlds. On a literary site, Catapult, I read a piece by Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, entitled “In Search of Grandmas.” His essay revolves around his…

Yes, I know, given the state of the world right now, lacking pine straw does not EVEN make the top 1000 concerns I last left my house on Friday, March 13, and truly, I’ve been fine, pulling all those weeds,…

Finally, we had to face the facts that it just wasn’t going to happen the “old fashioned way” and, now pushing forty, our chances weren’t getting any better. My wife and I spent ten years trying to have our daughter.…

While it’s important to stay home and follow the CDC’s guidelines for safety – it’s also important to stay connected. While it’s important to stay home and follow the CDC’s guidelines for safety –it’s also important to stay connected. Sasee…

I surveyed the area again looking for “cute and old” when I realized “the tell.” We were the only ones doing it – holding hands. “They’re so cute. I hope you and I are like that when we get old,”…

So ask yourself the question: If I can pick one person to be on a team with, would he or she be that one? “So how come you and your husband are still together?” The chit chat around us stopped…

We all know the hardest part about a relationship is making it last. Soapbox! Yes, if you don’t want to hear it, turn away now. But don’t worry it’s not about politics. I’ve steered away from that topic like a…

Some nights there are no memories that come with this tradition; only the complete feeling of safety and serenity that comes with such and underrated treat. In the deep, blue dark of early morning, my eyes jerk open with a…

Now I’m starting to wonder if there really is a party. Maybe there is, and he’s forgotten. As I approached my 40th birthday, my wife asked if I wanted a party to celebrate such a milestone. I explained that this…