Category: Family

Your dad told Nana and me that you went out for a slushy after the game several weeks ago with a girl from your school.  She drove, so I know she’s at least sixteen. Good for you.  I hope you had a good time.  We both know that you’ve been interested in girls for some …

The Tooth Fairy is a fantasy figure of early childhood in Western and Western-influenced cultures.  The folklore states that when children lose one of their baby teeth, they should place it underneath their pillow or on their bedside table, and the Tooth Fairy will visit while they sleep, replacing the lost tooth with a small …

Friday, February 14th, marks the 50th anniversary of the first time that Ruth and I went on an official date.  We’d known each other since the prior August, rode in a car pool with another first year teacher, flirted with each other on several occasions, discussed and met other people we were dating,  but never …

My parents almost named me Danny Lee.  I’m glad they didn’t.  It’s a perfectly good name, and if that’s yours,  good for you.   No offense, but it’s just not for me. My mom said  Danny Lee was really the only name that my father and she discussed.  They also decided  there would be no …

I was never in the military.  Had I been drafted, I would have served.  I never considered  volunteering. My prime service years coincided with the war in Vietnam.  I signed up for the selective service as required when I turned eighteen.  Shortly after that I started college and received a student deferment while I continued …

It’s Christmas 2019. You should be hanging out with your family, so I’ll be brief. This is a unique day for me. For the first thirty years of my life I spent Christmas morning with my mom, dad, and sisters. Ruth was with me the last six of the thirty. We stopped waking up in …

When we arrived in Michigan last week I asked Eva how they introduced each swimmer at her swim meet. I expected something like, “Ladies and gentleman, Please draw your attention to lane one where Eva Tebo will be representing Hamilton Middle School.” And then I asked, “Do you think that they would let me be …

Brady plays his first high school basketball game on Tuesday. If you’re reading this on Sunday or Monday you still have time to join Ruth and me in  Coopersville, Michigan for the 4:00 p.m. tipoff. We’re flying up to see him play.  We’ll also get to see his second game on Thursday and Eva’s middle …

I believe all parents have favorites. Pictures – not kids. These are two of mine. The first   was taken in the fall of 1978. David was five and in his first year of school, Elizabeth was three, and Michael was fifteen months. David and Elizabeth were sporting their traditional, barber free, bowl cuts provided …

Memories of people and events often fade with time.  People who have truly impacted your life last the longest.  If I close my eyes,  I can still hear the voices of my mom and dad as if they were speaking with me today.  The voices of several of my aunts, uncles, and grandparents still ring …