“Do you want to go play with those cars and trucks?” It seemed like every single morning my two-year-old Daniel stood at my side of the bed wearing flannel pajamas asking that very question. Do want to go play with those cars and trucks? He was referring to the “hot-wheels” I had bought a few weeks earlier. A purchase I obviously made without giving sufficient thought to the consequences of my actions. I had no idea it would turn into…
When I was a young man in the late ‘80’s, I longed to be a father. But If the truth be known, I had no idea what that meant. When our firstborn entered this world in the summer of ’89, I soon discovered being a father meant taking the night shift. I walked the floor with a baby that had colic. My mother told me to hold him closely, because the warmth of my body would help his little tummy…
Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year. But I find that many of my conversations with friends and acquaintances regarding this so-called joyous season are not joy-filled by any stretch of the imagination. Disappointment would be a more descriptive word. People are disappointed with their gift giving ability financially speaking. Family members are disappointed with each other in a more pronounced way this time of year. Patience runs thin. Children are disappointed with what Santa brings them….
When my oldest son was a toddler, I was called out by the police department in Wichita Falls to provide victim’s assistance and some spiritual presence to a woman that had been brutally raped by a group of men in an abandoned house. It was one of those call-outs that is still imprinted on my mind 25 years later. I couldn’t fathom that someone could a harm a woman in such a way. It remains beyond my comprehension. I am…
Empathy is a quality that develops with age. I am convinced this is true. When I was in my 20’s, I had a complete inability to view the world through the eyes of my mother. I had no inkling what I put her through as she raised me! I knew I was a handful, but I didn’t grasp what it did to her heart. That is a lack of empathy. My mother experienced her share of losses both as a…
I am going to start a new business venture. My empty nest is going to become a place of refuge for teenage boys that need to escape maternal wrath. When mom is fired up, it’s just best to leave the country. You need a refuge that is owned and operated by an empathic male that has raised boys of his own. One of my favorite middle-school age boys is Teddy. (not his real name. I have changed the names to…
My firstborn son reminded me yesterday that I used to attempt to conceal Dramamine tablets in Almond Joy bars when he was a little boy. I had totally forgotten! I actually thought it was a really clever idea. MY dad was of the mind to give me Dramamine without the added help of chocolate and coconut. I was just told to “suck it up.” Randall’s comment scared me… What else did I do or say during his formative years that…
So…are you are a part of one of “those” families? That sounds disturbing, doesn’t it? If you have a niece who always refers to you as Uncle Buck, you could be a part of one of “those” families. When you are 53 years old, and your sisters still get nervous about going out in public with you, you could be the person that is making your family one of “those” families. I confess. I contribute substantially to making those related…
Our Facebook news-feeds are about to be flooded with group pictures of seemingly happy families. In the accompanying comments, proud parents will extol the virtues of their children. They are national honor society students, all-district athletes, and the list goes on and on…. And of course your family is experiencing the greatest Christmas known to humankind. I am familiar with such pictures, because I have posted them. I am proud of my kids too. As another Christmas descends on us,…
There is a lot of pressure at the holidays to somehow replicate what is portrayed in a Norman Rockwell painting. Or better yet, we feel the need to experience Christmas like the Depression era Walton family portrayed on television 40 years ago. I am going to call of that what it truly is…It’s nonsense. It’s not real life. This week I am officiating at two funeral services. One of my colleagues is officiating at another funeral service for a…