For Better, Or For the Better
For Better, or for the Better Matthew Battiato stood pensively in front of the large congregation at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. As the familiar song started playing and the people Continue Reading →
Tag Archives: family
The Scourge of Suicide
A few months ago, I got the news that an extended family member had died by suicide. As someone whose family had been blessed to not experience this during my Continue Reading →
The Extraordinary Gift of a Stay-At-Home Mother
It is 12:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. Our 8-month-old, Kate, has just awoken early from her nap after being unintentionally aroused by her 8-year-old brother, Will, who was determined to Continue Reading →
Players Needed
It was a hot, steamy Friday evening. Two hours earlier, I had received an email at work from my oldest son, Zach. The message read as follows: Hey dad, This Continue Reading →
Avenues of Memories and Dreams
Brandon Schafer was two years old when his family moved to 1308 South Grand Avenue, just a couple of blocks from Akin Park. Most of his formative years would be Continue Reading →
Loss (of Control)
It is one of the most core human fears, and if we are honest, every single one of us has worried about it at many different points in our lives. Continue Reading →
A Tribute to My Grandpa: Of Life, Legacy, and Love
Author’s note: On Monday, May 27th, 2019 (Memorial Day), James Charles Schroeder, my grandfather, passed away at the age of 86. As a young man fresh out of high school, Continue Reading →
It Takes a Village…
The year was 1957 in the small town of Wauchula, Florida. It was place where the economy largely depended on the land, where farmers worked in orange groves and sold Continue Reading →
Rejection is Worse than Death
It was a Friday evening. My wife and I were sitting in the kitchen talking to a friend of ours while the kids played outside. Our friend indicated that for Continue Reading →
Backpacking – Family Style
I awoke to the sound of youthful chatter. As was later noted, Matthew had set his watch alarm for 5:37 AM (for reasons only a 10-year-old can understand), ushering in Continue Reading →