Just Doing Life
We All Need Mermaids
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, my 82-year-old mom goes to swim class. Of course, moving her body is good for her health. But perhaps even more important is the chance to see her friends. It’s a playdate for her. These women have been swimming together for years....
The People Who Make The Drive
My oldest son coached his first game in his new role as the offensive line coach for a college football team. It’s a big step for him. He’s worked hard for this moment. The crazy hours as a graduate assistant, the missed events, and all the unglamorous parts of...
Gratitude With Nowhere to Go
Last week, I loaded up the car and drove my daughter eight hours away to begin graduate school. She’s been my buddy this summer. My sidekick, my partner in crime, the person who is almost always up for whatever I’m doing. When I pulled into the driveway after work,...
Her Gut Is Data
One of the most important things we can teach our daughters is this: Her gut is data. Not drama. Not overreacting. Not being "too sensitive". Not making a big deal out of nothing. Data. That uncomfortable feeling in her stomach when someone’s words don’t match their...
It’s Not About Being Young, It’s About Being Open
I turned 58 this weekend and the day before my birthday, I went to a music festival with my daughter. My first one. Not exactly where I pictured myself spending the final day of 57. It was loud. Crowded. Colorful. A little crazy. And wonderfully different from my...
The World Needs More Offensive Linemen
Last week my husband grabbed his whistle, found his clipboard, and started eating throat drops to save his voice. Just like that, football season was back. He coaches the offensive line. The big guys whose job is to make everyone else look good. They are the...
Know When to Be Their Person
There’s a subtle shift that happens when your child becomes a teenager. It often follows them well into adulthood. The relationship changes. The rules are no longer as clear. Parenting, which once felt more straightforward, begins to require more restraint, more...
To Have a Village, You Have to Be a Villager
To have a village, you need to be a villager. So much of life is shaped by the people we choose to surround ourselves with. I’ve always been drawn to the doers—the people who roll up their sleeves, say yes to being part of things, and get shit done. They are the...
Be A Simple Man
My son got married this weekend. It was a two-day celebration filled with fun, laughter, old friends, family, dancing, and love. So much love. Love for who they were as little ones. Love for their younger days. Love for who they are now. And love for who they are...
Delayed, Rerouted and Reminded
I had a painful day of travel last week. What was supposed to be a simple three-hour trip home from Eugene, Oregon, turned into a seventeen-hour ordeal. Four flights. Two missed connections. An overnight stay in an unexpected airport with three hours of sleep. And one...
