A Good Man Is Hard to Lose

A Good Man Is Hard to Lose

We put a good man in the ground last week, or at least, the shell he last inhabited. It wasn’t what it used to be, before his 94 years took their toll. He wasn’t the only good man I knew, but the only one I called Daddy, even when he no longer knew what to call me, or...
Questioning an Unspoken Holiday ‘Tradition’

Questioning an Unspoken Holiday ‘Tradition’

The Christmas season officially began with Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas is you” blaring in every department store and supermarket. Now that Jesus is here, we’ll need to change our tune and address the emotional and physical labor of the holiday, which is...
What Story Will You Tell This Thanksgiving?

What Story Will You Tell This Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and the national holiday comes with anxiety for a variety of reasons. From the awkward silence created by in-laws who ask inappropriate questions to discussions about why First People don’t feel at home in America, there’s a lot on the table....
By the Way | The Right Side of the Grass

By the Way | The Right Side of the Grass

I resolved some years ago to stop tracking birthdays, although I do have to calculate several times a year. Let’s see, 1954 to 2000 is 46, then add … what year is it again? This birthday, number 68, would be unremarkable but for the fact that my father succumbed to...