We humans become what we practice being. My mother taught me this lesson accidentally, by letting me quit piano and take up drums. How does a kid who despised the practice timer become a human metronome? Read on.
Tag: parenting
Easier Isn’t Better
The better way isn’t the easier one; it’s whichever one leads to greater fulfillment. Even if it includes freezing nights, Grandma’s guilt trips, and a gold 1970 Chevy Nova on a winding West Virginia country road.
Sometimes the Scar Is Worth It
My earliest memory involves a soccer field, a broken beer bottle, and a choice that left a mark—a scar that still reminds me of my father.
When In Doubt, Sing Out
I learned a crucial lesson about kindness and compassion while Christmas caroling in a nursing home in 1983.
Sometimes the Deep Magic Prevails
Reflections from a wedding on a Blue Ridge mountainside.
Ode to a Woman and a Civil Servant
My mother taught me that to be a decent human you have to despise cruelty. And she was right.
Here’s to the Householders
The people who hold together households hold together society—and we should treat them as such.
10,000 Miles and One
Reflections on the journey of one man's best friend.
Love and Other Essentials
Love isn’t really all you need. But it’s right up there.
You Can Stand on Your Head that Long
We’re all feeling cooped up and anxious and, yes, already a little bored. So what would my mother say?
