A Year of Lasts…

JonDavid’s senior year–which sneaked up on us when he skipped a grade–has been one last after another. The last first day of school, the last game to watch from the bleachers, the last prom….in a couple of weeks it will be the last play, the last birthday at home, and the one I am really

Her name….Mother of Exiles

It is hard to know how we, as a nation, will come through this present situation involving ISIS terrorism, Syria, and the refugee crisis.  I loathe the fact that we are leaving my children and grandchildren such a frightening world.  It makes my own Cold-War-hiding-under-our-school-desks-in-case-the-Communists-bomb-us childhood seem tame by comparison.  However we emerge on the other side

Remembering Dr. Miller

Our dear obstetrician, and friend, Dr. F. Clifton Miller died in an automobile accident last night, as he rushed to Jones Memorial Hospital for yet another emergency.  He died as he had lived: serving others.  I can’t imagine that we could have ever found a better guide through the incredible adventure of childbirth. When we

The Angels of Our Better Nature

My spirit is so deeply grieved by this horrific massacre in Oregon and by the predictable partisan bickering about what we should do about it.  America, we can and must do better.  We owe it to our ancestors who fought and sacrificed and compromised and immigrated and bled to build our nation. The status quo

The End of an Era

I started digging into the nooks and crannies of the old van, needing to empty it out in case I find something to trade it for tomorrow.  I both chuckled and choked up as I found relics of the past fifteen years.  “US Govt Guide to Surviving a Bear Attack” from the Western Trip; the

Pro aris et focis

I can’t help but reflect on all of the facebook posts inquiring “What is wrong with America?”  You know what? Nothing is wrong with America, at least nothing that wasn’t wrong with it before yesterday’s Supreme Court decision.  America is, in fact, functioning just as it is supposed to.  America is not now, nor was

Jacob’s Journal

The journey God has given me has been long, and awful, and joyful and unlike that of any other man.  I arrived in the world grasping at my twin brother’s heel. Later I tricked him into stealing his birthright from our father. In turn, my father-in-law played a dreadful trick on me. Along the way

#TimsNewLife

What a seven months it has been since my cancer diagnosis in October. What a six years it has been since I lost my job at the College.  During that time I’ve sent my first two children off to college, I’ve made a new and wonderful life for myself as a high school teacher–complete with new

The Day I Became a Dad

21 Years ago…March 27, 1994 It felt as if I had waited my whole life to be a dad.  I have always enjoyed being around kids and even babies. When Uncle Bruce and Aunt Kathie adopted Brian in 1969 I was enchanted:  I said to Aunt Kathie, “Finally there is someone I can tell, ‘I

“I guess the world is not a wish-granting factory.”

In a wonderful example of cosmic irony, I made my annual pilgrimage to my dermatologist on Monday, Oct. 13th where, upon the 20th anniversary of my melanoma, he declared the book closed on that cancer case.  On Thursday, Oct. 23rd, my urologist told me I had prostate cancer.  Thanks universe: it was a swell ten