I hear him wake up before I see him because of his heavy footfalls on the wood floor, heel first with his seven-year-old weight and whatever added force he can muster. Thunk, thunk, thunk up the narrow hall he comes. …
Set Free
I want to say no, that you’re too young, that I won’t be there if you need help. But you say you’re nine years old, and that Flora’s house is just around the corner. Yes, I think, it is just …
Between the Ears (tWitch)
If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or ideations, PLEASE call 988, the national helpline for suicide prevention and mental health crises within the United States. *** I am eighth in line at the pharmacy counter in …
A Note To My Children: The Terminator Is Here
A note to my children: I have some thank yous to deliver to you this morning, and a share of genuine gratitude. But, you ask, with furrowed brow, thankfulness and gratitude are the same, aren’t they? The dictionary says they …
Foxes Don’t Eat Cheese
Rollin’… On El Camino With my rag-top down so my hair can blow… Wait, no. Wrong decade, no rag-top, no hair. Just a van full of four kids rollin’ to the dentist. Mommy usually does every one of these but …
Growing Up
“Dada, can you squeeze the toothpaste for me?” Delaney asked. I looked up, interrupted in our extra bedroom, caught napping before it was time for actual bedtime. I had put the twin 6-year old boys to bed and found myself …
I Don’t Know Shit
One thing having a six year old has taught me is that I really don’t know very much. When my oldest daughter was four, there wasn’t a question she could throw at me that I didn’t at least have some …
Biff’s Last Day
“I’m sorry to bother you, but do you know whose cat that is?” She said it as she approached from the end of the driveway. I had just put boy number one into the rolling trash heap I sometimes call …
A Husband’s View of Postpartum Depression
My wife tells me no one reads her eyes like I do. The slightest degradation in spirit shows up like a flashing red light even though the individual physical changes, taken separately, are virtually unnoticeable. These days it’ll be a …
Earned Autonomy: Your First 90 Days
A couple of years ago I took a new position within my company. It came with new and expanded responsibilities in an area of the business I was not familiar with. Then within days of accepting the position my wife …