He lingered longest in the fiction section, excitedly recognizing a few titles that we’ve read aloud as a family. Just when I began to self-indulge in the sentiment of the moment, he posed the question that had been brewing in his head.
“Dad, have you actually read all these?”
I remember when youngest daughter left some books out on the back porch one day. Sadly, I didn’t find them until after it had rained all night. Hey, it happens. No big deal. But when I gathered them up from the wet table, the ruinous state of one book in particular made my heart break…
I am writing. Trying to write. The characters are reeling away from one other as the plot falls apart yet again. At this point, my page has more words scratched out than still standing. Wait, why is this guy climbing a tree? When is the antagonist supposed to appear? And why is he a bad…
My son broke my heart the other day. He had just finished reading one of my favorite books, The Yearling, and he was telling me how the closing scenes affected him. If you’ve not yet read this classic, I’ll spare you the main spoilers but suffice it to say, the young protagonist Jody Baxter experiences…
My wife and I are trying to help our children become more empathetic. Practically speaking, this means we’re raising them to put their vivid imaginations to good use when considering what someone else is going through. Step into their shoes; imagine what things look like from their perspective. By doing this, we are not merely…
We have a new Tolkien fanatic in our house. Her name is Bethan and she is a 5-year-old sparkplug with freckles and curly hair. Every single day, she peppers me with requests to read from our Tolkien storybook. I’m thrilled about this, of course. The works of JRR Tolkien are favorites of mine and I…
I’m conflicted. There’s an inner warfare blossoming into all kinds of contradictions and incongruities within me. On my best days I’m aware of it and make an effort to limit civilian casualties. Too many other days I employ a noninterventionist policy and watch the bodies pile up. Regardless of whether or not I can regulate…
Brimming with energy, the little girl bounded out of the room. She cartwheeled into the hallway with an unmistakable air of vitality but the flapping of her hospital gown betrayed the scene. Seeing her level of activity, the doctor’s first impulse was to send her home. Not to get too technical, but patients feeling well…
My oldest son stood spellbound in front of shelves that must have seemed endlessly high and wide from his small vantage. The Study was a familiar room to him, one he often requisitioned for all manner of creative projects and mischief. The surrounding mass of books had been nothing more than background scenery. I’m not…
