For me the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a re-evaluation of life’s big questions. One of my discoveries is how the simple pleasures contribute to my quality of life. Here are the little things that have come to mean a lot to me: Laughter around the table is a simple pleasure that happens frequently when we play … Continue reading Simple pleasures
Tag: family
Christmas traditions
We have to be careful when we plan something special for our family because if we do it once, the boys will insist on making it a tradition. This is especially true of Christmas. We begin the season by decorating our home the weekend after Thanksgiving, often getting a jump by hauling the bins of … Continue reading Christmas traditions
The music, man
I’m not sure how it happened, but I have a musical family. Saturday two weeks ago proved it. My oldest son played trumpet in the University of Georgia Redcoat Band in a game against the University of Arkansas. My middle son played trombone in the Parkview High School Marching Band in the Lake Lanier Tournament … Continue reading The music, man
Four walls and a roof
I hate moving. Moving is one of my least favorite activities because when you’re married to Carla, moving means painting. I hate painting. When we first got married we lived in an apartment with vaulted ceilings. Because of her need for color and beauty, she insisted we paint the rooms, forfeiting our security deposit and … Continue reading Four walls and a roof
Thoughts on Lanny
On Nov. 1, 2013, my father-in-law, Lanny Barron, was in an automobile accident on his way to his house in Sandersville from his family's farm outside of town. He died on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28. Today's essay is the eulogy I had the honor of delivering at Lanny's funeral. He and Cynthia would have been married … Continue reading Thoughts on Lanny
Truth in labeling
There comes a time in every parent’s life when they are faced with the sudden and shocking realization that their children are no longer children. Monday morning I pulled an undershirt out of the drawer, and there at the back of the collar, just above the imprinted size and manufacturing information was the letter “L” … Continue reading Truth in labeling
New tricks
Jack is an old dog. To you and me he’s 16, but according to the Pedigree Dog Calculator, he’s the equivalent of an 80-year-old man. Jack has outlived his brother, Joe, by about 10 years. He’s outlived his best friend, my father-in-law, by three months now and counting. He’s an old dog, but he is … Continue reading New tricks
It’s all downhill
These were two journeys I didn’t want to take. I was less than thrilled to be “voluntold” by my wife back before Christmas that I was chaperoning our son’s first snow skiing adventure in January with the youth from church. This attitude was mirrored in my less-than-enthusiastic embrace of said son reaching the adolescent milestone … Continue reading It’s all downhill
A son-in-law’s grief
At approximately 5:15 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, my mother-in-law called me on my mobile phone as I was driving out of the parking garage at work in Midtown Atlanta. “Lanny has been in accident,” were the words that began a journey for our family that culminated in another phone call, at about 10 a.m. … Continue reading A son-in-law’s grief
Veggie tales
With age comes responsibility, and one of the responsibilities of children aged 5 and older in our house is eating vegetables. Lest you think Carla and I are unreasonable parents, we are not clean platers. The quantity of the food consumed is not our beef, so to speak. We insist our children eat vegetables as … Continue reading Veggie tales
New South Essays 