The myth of sentimentality

Posted in DIY, Stories
the myth of sentimentality picture

I’m not a sentimental man.

As a grown man, I’ve only sobbed twice, both times because of sentimentality. (And I mean, bawled, snot dripping from my nose, hiccuping with gasping breaths, falling to the ground and pounding the floor crying.)

But I realized there’s no such thing as sentimentality.

You with me?

Lemme tell you why.

But first, some background. Read more »

The 70% Rule

Posted in Stories
The 70% rule
The 70% Rule.

Speaking of failures, amidst my many shortcomings, I’ve had this nagging something plaguing me of late. It’s okay to fail at writing, it’s okay to fail at my profession, and it’s okay to fail at losing weight and exercise. But I cannot accept failure at being a dad.

But I’ve felt like a failure lately. It seems that 90+% of my interactions with my kids are contentious. And all the while, I keep thinking, I’m one of those dads. You know what I’m talking about, right? The sort of dad that’s always butting heads with the kids, the sort of dad that the kids are conditioned to resent long before maturity sets in (and with it, the humble realization that dad may have been right after all).

But, I did little about it. I suppose I was so preoccupied with my other endeavors to do anything about it. (Bad idea). Read more »

Thou shalt not covet. Right?

Posted in Stories
thou shalt not covet

There was a time when I never wanted a family. No kids, no wife. Just me and blissful solitude.

That was last week. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. It’s not that I didn’t want my family. I was just on edge. All the time. My blood pressure never seemed to settle. I was either buried with work or walking through a hailstorm of noise when I came home.

Never a moment of quiet. It was, in many ways, familiar. But it had never been this worse.

Or should I say, it has never been this worse. Read more »

The Anger Ball

Posted in Stories
Keeping your cool in an argument

It’s been eleven years now since I learned that lesson. I was living in Michigan, serving as a missionary. For those unfamiliar with Mormon-dom, let me tell you about those fellows who wear white shirts, ties, and black name tags. The pair of them must be within eye sight of one another 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only break they get from one another is the occasional “trade-off” where they switch companions for a day.

And did I mention you don’t get to choose your companion?

And it can last anywhere from six weeks to six months (and sometimes more).

Guess what….. Read more »

A message to dads: Keeping your cool isn’t enough

Posted in Stories
A dad who loves and forgives

Dear Men,

Let’s be dads. Let’s be the sort of dads who can forgive, speak with gentle voices to our children, and have our children feel loved.

(Thanks to Fife Photography for this lovely image).

Today’s story comes from a dad who, by his own admission, almost screwed this one up. (The dad has chosen to remain anonymous to protect the identity of his kids). So, without further ado, welcome an anonymous father! Read more »