On July 3, 2017, my uncle Mark died suddenly and tragically. It was not a beautiful and gentle end to a long life. It was unexpected and painful. I’ll never forget getting the call that night from the police, informing me he had died. I’ll never forget driving my devastated …

“No! I don’t want to go to Disney World! I just want to stay home and have screen time!” My wife and I often feel like we are failing as parents. The house isn’t clean enough. The meals aren’t healthy enough. We don’t spend enough quality time with the kids. …

Ask a young couple who just had their first child what they dream of for their child’s life, and you’ll likely get some version of, “I just want them to be happy.” Ask an aging couple whose children are adults what they dream for their adult children, and you’ll likely …

What do you remember about your grandfather? Cardigan sweaters, a red Ford Ranger truck, pipe smoke and treats for the dogs are the first things that come to my mind – that and him slipping a $20 bill in my hand as long as I promised I would waste it. …

The doctor reluctantly dialed the number. A patient had suffered terrible injuries playing baseball, and he needed to inform the young man that his prognosis was grim. As the phone rang, the doctor searched for a gentle way to deliver the news. He decided to tell a joke: Patient: “Doctor, …

“To die would be a great adventure.” – Peter Pan The 1991 film Hook, though met with little critical acclaim, remains a classic for many Millennials. Directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg and featuring music composed by the great John Williams, the film stars cinema giants Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts …

Kurt Vonnegut’s 2005 New York Times bestselling book, A Man Without a Country, changed my life. Without this book, I don’t know that I would have published two books, recorded an album, painted original works (that only my mother could love), written poetry or even if I would be writing …

Johnny had always wanted to help when his Uncle Mike dressed up as Santa and delivered gifts to kids in need before Christmas. His family collected gift lists from a local hospital or homeless shelter, then they’d get their neighbors or school families to donate gifts. And then, Uncle Mike …

When I was 19, I traveled to the poorest country on this side of the world. As a middle-class, Midwestern white-kid traveling to Haiti on a mission trip, I had strong faith and missionary zeal, but nothing could have prepared me for the kind of abject poverty I had only …

The 1973 short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, tells of a utopia complete with green fields, blue skies, shimmering buildings and happy people. But the city is built on a dark truth. In the bowels of the city, in the basement of a building, there exists a …