To paraphrase Hemingway, Covid-19 came into our family “gradually and then suddenly.” I’m not sure where I was when Mrs. T. told me that her two relatives, whom I’ll call A. and B., were at risk. A. had tested positive for the virus, was with fever, and had trouble breathing. And, most ominous: B. was
Category: Family life
To Grieve
Before the Covid-19 shut down, I offered this to my son: “How about dinner for 17 tonight or tomorrow?” As the reality of the coronavirus set in, I realized that his college a cappella group, which is very close, would be facing rushed goodbyes to each other and, in particular, to the seniors. The college
‘Beat Your Isolation Loneliness’
I went out this morning for a long walk. The late-winter sunlight was blindingly bright, blunting the cold air and wind gusts on occasion. It was nice to get out of the house. Chances are, you too are engaging in social distancing as we all try to ameliorate the coronavirus’ spread. As for our family,
Good Judgment
It is one of my favorite times of the year: easing into the Christmas and holiday season. Our family will all be together this year for Christmas, which is not guaranteed now that our children are older. One of our college-aged kids is home. I pick up the other one later today, after my last
Simple Thanksgivings
I recently wrote about “simple Sundays.” I’m now a believer in simple holidays, too. For many years, my Thanksgiving schedule looked like this: Awake at 4 am to make cinnamon rolls from scratch Cook up bacon and other dishes and have breakfast ready for the family and guests Feed the family and guests Begin cooking
The Stream Dream
For my birthday weekend, I fished yesterday with some fly-fishing buddies, and we had some great luck. I’m fortunate to be part of a tight circle of anglers, comprised of people obsessed with chasing trout. We often compare notes, share secret fly recipes, and fish together. They’re great guys, too. As The Grant Study showed,