Florida Snow

It has snowed in Florida… once in my lifetime. I remember the wide-eyed glee looking out our window and seeing this strange precipitation that I’d only heard about before. It was 1989 and I had an ice fight with my dad in the front yard since none of the snow stuck. I’m pretty sure we thew more…

Time, Energy, and Money

You have a few resources always at your disposal. These items are frustratingly limited: time, energy, and money. At most, you can have two of these resources at a time. Sometimes you have just one, but very rarely do all three show up concurrently! When you are young and fresh you have scads of energy…

One of a Kind

My dad is one of a kind. He doesn’t fit the mold. I can’t ever look at an ad flyer for gift ideas for him. He doesn’t want ties, tools, or trinkets for Father’s Day. He wants time. I asked him via text if he had any specific Father’s Day requests. He responded immediately (which is…

Pillows and Home

This is not just any pillow. It represents my family. First, it pictorally represents Florida. Where we have lived nearly all our lives. Our hearts reside here, in our favorite, sunny, warm, oddly-shaped state. Gator colors show our school pride where three alums, (and maybe a fourth!) proudly sang “We are the boys.” The heart…

A Poet and a Warrior

It’s Father’s Day. That’s more than just a statement, it’s an intentional drawing of attention!  I’ve always felt a little uneasy seeing that in our culture Mother’s Day gets all the hype and hooplah, while Father’s Day slides past under-advertised. I don’t know exactly why that is. Is it just that Mother’s Day comes first…