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The holidays have a way of pulling us backward and forward at the same time. Growing up in the Midwest of the ’70s and ’80s gave many of us a simple, grounded view of life — one that feels worlds away from today. This season, I’m finding gratitude in the memories, the miles, and the people who shaped both.

A quick grocery run turns into a tiny comedy of errors when a simple word like “absolve” sends a cashier into suspicion and a stranger steps in to save the moment. Just another day in checkout lane seven.

At some point in adulthood, you wake up one morning, look at your bank account, look at your Amazon cart, and realize something profound: You are buying Christmas gifts for people you might not have had a real conversation with since pay phones were a thing.

Living at the Crossroads of History: In the 1980s, I served as a soldier stationed in Germany. It was a world living in the shadow of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was still a scar on the landscape — a reminder of what fear can build and what war can leave behind. I witnessed history firsthand: the wall’s collapse in 1989, the tense days leading into Desert Storm, and the complicated human realities that are never captured in textbooks. I remember that night the wall came d

I had lunch with a friend a few months ago. Nothing dramatic. No big occasion. Just one of those “hey, it’s been too long, let’s get together” kind of lunches. One of many more to come, I was sure. We sat outside. The weather was beautiful. We talked, laughed, traded a few war stories from work, and did that thing we all do: “We’ve got to do this again soon.” And then life did what life always does—rolled forward. Work, appointments, errands, projects. Then, out of nowhere

My loving wife has quietly—strategically—turned me into a Hallmark officiant. The sheer volume of Christmas movies they produce is astonishing. If the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever collapses, Hallmark can pick up the franchise and keep generating 30 new plots a year without breaking a sweat. And that’s what got me thinking this morning. "Hallmark is cashing in on the holidays." Because here I am in my family’s hometown, talking with relatives about the way things used to b

A heartfelt reflection on why some friendships uplifts us, others drain us, and how age reveals the difference.

That’s the part nobody prepares you for — the speed of irrelevance. You reach out to check in, and people are busy. You were once on speed dial — now you’re on the “get back when I can” list. It’s not personal, but it feels personal. You see how fast you’re replaced, and it stings. All those years, all that effort, and the second you turn in your laptop and ID card, that door doesn’t close softly — it slams.

Shutdowns, layoffs, realignments — they all feel the same when your world suddenly stops spinning. But the truth is, you can’t control the storm; you can control your posture in it. Here’s how to use disruption as a catalyst for reflection, reinvention, and resilience.

When a friend’s girlfriend insists on cleansing your house with sage and salt, manners meet madness—and Mr. Peabody the cat bears silent witness.

Mid-career isn’t the end—it’s the pivot point. This is the time to reflect, realign, and choose what the second half of your life will look like with purpose and clarity.

A reflective walk through time and memory — where an unexpected reunion sparks deeper thoughts about how life and time forge us all. “Forged by Time” explores friendship, change, and the heat that shapes who we become.