We were already running late. Her bow was crooked, she had glitter on one shoe but not the other, and the only snack I’d packed was a half-squished granola bar….
WE GET TROLLED NONSTOP FOR OUR SON’S NAME—BUT WE’RE NOT CHANGING A THING
It started the day we posted his birth announcement. A sweet little photo of him in his bassinet, wrapped in that blue-striped hospital blanket, eyes barely open. Caption said: “Welcome…
A STRANGER SWITCHED SEATS ON OUR FLIGHT—AND MY DAUGHTER STILL TALKS ABOUT HIM
It wasn’t a long flight. Just under two hours. But when you’re traveling alone with a four-year-old who’s overtired, hungry, and slightly terrified of the seatbelt light, two hours can…
MY 101-YEAR-OLD GRANDMA HELD MY NEWBORN SON—AND PASSED AWAY JUST HOURS LATER
We weren’t even sure she’d still be here by the time I gave birth. Every time I called, she’d answer in that raspy voice and say, “Still kickin’. Just waiting…
KIDS AT SCHOOL STARTED SAYING MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD LOOKED PREGNANT—AND NO ONE WARNED ME
At first, I thought she was just hitting that awkward growth phase—long legs, rounder belly, a little off balance like her body hadn’t caught up with itself yet. Totally normal,…
I ADOPTED A NEWBORN WHO WAS LEFT AT THE HOSPITAL—AND I’D NEVER EVEN CHANGED A DIAPER BEFORE
I wasn’t supposed to be in the NICU that day. I was just there dropping off a care package for a friend’s baby—diapers, snacks, those little preemie socks no one…
MY GRANDPARENTS LEFT ME THEIR TINY OLD CABIN—AND IT CHANGED EVERYTHING
When the lawyer called about the will, I didn’t expect much. Maybe some knick-knacks, a few photos, maybe that chipped cookie jar my grandma swore was “vintage.” But what they…
DOCTORS GAVE MY WIFE SIX MONTHS TO LIVE—THREE DAYS AFTER OUR WEDDING… AND I DIDN’T TELL HER
We were still picking confetti out of our hair when I got the call. Three days married. Still floating on the high of it all—her white dress crumpled in a…
I LET MY SIX-YEAR-OLD STAY UP UNTIL 1AM AND SLEEP ON THE COUCH—AND IT’S MADE ME A BETTER DAD
People are real quick to judge when you say your kid’s up past midnight on a school night. Last week, my buddy Mark overheard me telling someone that Mason fell…
I GET BULLIED FOR BREASTFEEDING MY TWO-MONTH-OLD SON—BUT I’M NOT STOPPING
People act supportive until they’re uncomfortable. That’s the part nobody tells you. I’ve always been someone who loves the outdoors. So when I gave birth to Liam, I pictured us…