So, I've started journaling again. I say again because I have this habit of starting a journal and writing religiously in it for 2-ish weeks. Then, I miss a day. Then, I miss another. Then, the whole journal thing gets forgotten for months on end. Until I remember, oh hey! I have a journal! Aaaand, the cycle continues. For this round of writing, I've taken to relying on journal prompts as a way to break out of the "today I ate eggs for breakfast, went to work, the kid

This week many of us reflect on our mother, grandmother, or perhaps our own role in being a mother. While visiting with my friend Norma earlier this week, I reflected on my mom’s Big Box parenting style. With fondness I wonder, was this wisdom imparted by her own mother or a survival mechanism as a widow raising two teenagers?! My brother and I had a very Big Box, with defined boundaries, in which to navigate our daily lives. Definitely no micro managing! We learn from each

In the early years of our marriage, Teresa and I moved around quite a bit. When I recall the places we lived by name, many associations flash through my mind. In Atlanta: the high-speed traffic, the great boss, the tennis and swim accommodations inside most every neighborhood and the tornado that went over our house. In New Orleans: the great food, the deep culture, the McDonald’s menu in French, the drive-through daiquiri shops, the crawfish boils and the warm muggy eve