Putting the ‘grand’ in grandparents

I was blessed to know three of my four grandparents well. Minnie Ruth Elrod, my mom’s mother, whom we called Maw Maw, was always a part of my life. We had frequent visits with her when we all lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She eventually followed us to Lake Wales, Fla., and moved in … Continue reading Putting the ‘grand’ in grandparents →

Back in my day

Hindsight and adulthood have altered my perspective, but when I reflect on my childhood, my daily activities offer clues about what life was like. Here are a few snapshots of growing up in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth in the 1970s and ‘80s: Rocking that '70s bowl cut, turtleneck and jacket, I have always been a fashionable … Continue reading Back in my day →

Freshman memories still fresh

Judging by what I see from my friends on social media, we are in the season of sending our kids off to college. This year marks the fourth August we have experienced this, and next year we'll go through the exercise with two kids. But whether this is the first time or a repeat experience, … Continue reading Freshman memories still fresh →

Like mother, like son

As I progress through my 50s, I can see the source of my personality and character with greater clarity. I was blessed to have good role models in both of my parents throughout my life, and I have tried to exhibit Mom's and Dad's best qualities. I credit Mom with my strength, determination, unselfishness and … Continue reading Like mother, like son →

Mom and math

Throughout my formative school-age years, my mother was very engaged in my academic career. She expected her three boys to make all A’s and excel in everything we put our minds to. A mathematician, she worked to ensure that we take the highest levels of math available to us, believing that the knowledge and the … Continue reading Mom and math →

Glory days

Our middle son, Harris, started his senior year of high school this week. We joke all the time about how sad it would be if high school really did turn out to be a person's "glory days." He's looking forward to a good senior year, but he's also hopeful about college, graduate school, starting his … Continue reading Glory days →

A memorable/terrible birthday

The summer of 1986 was glorious, until it wasn’t. In the first two weeks after school ended, I met the younger sister of a woman in our church. She was my age and visiting for the summer from Chicago. When you grow up a preacher’s kid in a congregation with limited teenagers in a small … Continue reading A memorable/terrible birthday →

Childhood stories about ‘Little Lancer’

Stories not only describe a life; they can shape it as well. That’s true for the stories I’ve heard about my infancy and childhood as I have constructed my life’s narrative. These stories contain clues that explain my reluctance to change, fastidiousness, stubbornness, refusal to give in, and spreading joy with humor and good spirits. … Continue reading Childhood stories about ‘Little Lancer’ →

Nelson Mandela and my historic misstep

Interns notoriously misstep so often that their ineptitude, no matter the field, is a cliché. I lived up to that cliché when a false step during a journalism internship for Knight Ridder newspapers’ Washington bureau in the fall of 1991 became one of the strangest things to ever happen to me. That internship proved to … Continue reading Nelson Mandela and my historic misstep →

‘Stranger Things’ and nostalgic fads from my childhood

As my family indulges in season four of Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things," I'm once again overwhelmed with '80s nostalgia. It has led to many conversations with my boys about which fads of the era I embraced. No, I did not have Steve Harrington hair. Yes, I was a high school journalism nerd. No, I … Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ and nostalgic fads from my childhood →