While I grew up with three sisters, A Father’s Path for this dad has been one of all boys. In my third decade of fatherhood, certain sounds that were once mysterious, are now part of the decoding system of understanding my two sons. Active as they are, they have both made sitting a sport. Never […]
For Mom on her 86th: ♫ Someday, when I’m awfully low…♪♪ You can lose someone you love more than once. I lost my mother to Alzheimer’s. Slowly but surely it erased the tapes to the point where she was gone, unable to recognize her children. I was just some stranger kissing the top of her […]
There are moments when it hits me, brief openings when I catch a glimpse of how big life is. And many years later, the memories inspire, as fresh as the day they happened… One summer evening Justin, Evan, and I were playing catch out back in the field behind our home. Everyone donned a glove […]
I was taken aback the other day when my youngest, a baseball player, responded to a question about the World Series. The Houston Astros had just won the ultimate baseball prize, and in the process, gave their ravaged city something to center on, a respite in the city’s recovery process even if only for a […]
Part 3 This post comes from a different perspective. Rather than the subjective experience along a father’s path, the objective findings about fathers are brought to light. Over the years more and more research has pointed to the importance fathers have in the lives of children at every stage. As the role evolves, a father’s […]
Part 2 In the work that I do and in my personal experience, I’ve noticed there is a certain myth that continues to script the important moments of a boy’s life. I know this is a myth, although it is not well publicized. How? Talking with fathers about their fathers. Anecdotal, yes. Thematic, absolutely. The […]
Over the next few weeks I will be offering reflections on a more global level. Parents matter. Fathers matter. What have we learned regarding why this is so? Part 1 Much of the initial research on why fathers matter was based on his absence. In other words, those in the household (moms) reported on the […]
As a kid, my hockey gear was sentenced to the garage long before my playing days were over. I still recall my mother’s disgust as she accurately assessed the origin of the stink and pointed in exile. Head down, I placed my goalie bag in the corner of the garage where I would retrieve it […]
Outside the leaves are falling, while inside the light seeping through the windows is changing. It gives the house a different feel and it is about this time in the fall when I notice our oldest son, Justin, has been gone for a while.
There are little moments, seemingly insignificant cracks in the fabric of daily life where you get a glimpse of something singular. As a parent you continually ask if you are doing the right thing, and that right thing inevitably has ties to your child’s growth. You repeat yourself, you model, you talk about doing the […]
