The past week and a half has been an interesting time as I’ve been on vacation and thus able to spend almost every waking moment with my girls. In some ways, it’s been great. Olivia has a smile that can light up a room (and a laugh that’s so infectious you can’t help but roar…
That time of the year
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the importance of making sure my kids don’t become overly commercial and generally desensitized when it comes to the spirit of the Christmas season. I mean, truth be told, both my wife and I are at a place of privilege in our lives far beyond either one of…
Teaching Leadership Daily
I experienced the most interesting thing Monday morning when I dropped my daughter off at school, and truth be told, it made me proud for dads everywhere. It was the quintessential moment of dads instilling life lessons in their daughters at an early age. As usual, when we arrived at school, Riley and I said…
The Task Ahead for Parents
As parents we have a tough task on our hands. In the aftermath of yet another tragedy striking a black young man in this country, we have to help our children make sense of the concepts of justice, equity, forgiveness, healing, and the ever elusive “fairness”. To be honest, it’s a challenge that I…
I will trust
On Monday, I experienced probably my most frightening experience since becoming a parent. I was in a meeting when I received a phone call from my daughter’s school, asking for a return call. I was immediately concerned because her school has never before called my office number. When I returned the call, I received chilling news….
Transformational Life Experiences
I’ll never forget the life experiences that made me who I am today (or at least I shouldn’t). It’s a part of my life’s story. When I was in undergrad, I was a part of a phenonmenal gospel choir, The Voices of Inner Strength. I developed a lifetime of friendships in this group, people who I am…
Finding Your Family’s Community
Yesterday on the ride to the grocery store, my wife and I had a pretty in depth conversation about necessity of choosing the right community for our next home. So we began to go through our individual criteria for the community where we’d want to live. It’s interesting because, we’ve already done the pro-con list…
The beautiful chaos
Tonight, after reading 3 stories for bedtime (2 more than the customary 1), after we said our goodnight prayers, and both girls were tucked in, I just sat in the chair in their room watching Olivia suck her thumb and fall asleep. Just for a few minutes. I would have taken a picture…but then I…
Don’t get weary in well doing…
I know, I’m not supposed to start an imperative with a negative, but I digress. I’ve been thinking lately about the importance of perseverance in difficult situations. A lot of these reflections have come as a result of recent professional and personal obstacles, but what resonates the most with me is how the way I…
When was the last time?
Make a memory, and then revisit it often. That way you get double the joy from living in the present. This past weekend my wife and I visited our Alma Mater, Emory University for Homecoming weekend. It was the first time in a while that we’d actually been back on campus since probably our eldest,…
