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Stories from the journey of fatherhood & brotherhood
He sighed weariness and said, “It is what it is”
For 40 years my friend has raised cattle. He began humbly with two freshly weaned heifer calves. Over time he wisely and methodically expanded the operation. He acquired strategic pastures to rent, learned how to artificially inseminate his cows so genetic progress could be made faster, he even made the bold move to sell freezer beef directly to the consumer.
But things shifted in the past few years. Feeding cows twice a day...
My five inch afro bounced to the pulse of the pep band’s bass drum. I stood at center court and watched our high school’s blue bleachers slowly disappear under 2,000 fans eager to watch a high school basketball game between cross-town rivals. I did my best to appear nonchalant while I stretched - as if my stomach wasn’t the steroided rollercoaster of nerves that it was.
I watched our band teacher’s cheeks redden as his trumpet belted piercing high notes to a...
I’m 29 years older than my son. Most the time I behave like it. There have been exceptions…
He was 11 years old. I caught him doing something stupid (as I saw it) and I spanked him for it. Out of anger. His behavior was not commensurate with the discipline. I was immediately grieved for what I had done. The moment was more about me than him. I sat down with him, apologized for what I had done and made a commitment to him that I would never spank him again. I was so brokenhearted....
