I am a writer. An obvious statement to you, my reader, but it wasn’t an easy title to embrace. It took me two years into opening my first restaurant to refer to myself as chef and about as long to feel comfortable wearing a chef coat. We had one cook in the opening days that …
YouTube knows my interest and fascination with stories about fallen leaders among The Church As We Know It. Now, everytime I open the app, the algorithm lines up another group of videos of pastors who were caught up in some newsworthy scandal. Daily it seems, there is a new and inordinate set of incidents coming …
Let’s say you’re in a waiting room, in line to see your doctor. You find a seat and a conversation with a random stranger sitting next to you ensues. Suddenly and bluntly, the person begins telling you a story. You aren’t interested, but it quickly becomes a really outrageous one, so you set your phone …
Whatever makes you angry is the thing that matters most to you. Tell me what makes your blood boil and it will soon be clear to me where you see injustice. And if we talk long enough, you’ll reveal a painful story that explains that anger. Anger is the most basic and fundamental human emotion. …
Cooking professionally is a deeply personal profession. It’s different from many other trades. People don’t tend to take pictures of the clogged toilet that the plumber cleared after a late night service call. But they can’t help but pull out their phone and take multiple pictures and video of each dish and plate of food …
Six years ago, I was inducted into the International Society of Widows and Widowers. Soon after, I began to regularly meet other members who also had become members without their consent. It’s amazing how we all seem to come out of the woodwork and find each other. I randomly (seemingly) met many who had lost …
I’ve been thinking a lot about death lately. Probably because the anniversary of my late wife’s passing is coming up in a few days. I remember the feeling of those final hours. People tell me those feelings get stuck in the body and that’s why certain emotions and pains show up this time of the …
I grew up on a farm, more of an acreage, really. We had a few cows, pigs and chickens and a tractor. Some of the trappings of a farm, but it wasn’t meant for production. Just part of the pleasure my dad found by living in the country. With this country lifestyle came a certain …
This is a common deflection after a loss. It’s a way to try and bypass or avoid the pain of losing something that was meaningful. But while all loss isn’t equal, all loss needs to be grieved. We cut down the big old ash tree in our backyard. The big, beautiful shade tree that canopied …
I wrote that poem a few months after I was unanimously voted into the International Society of Widows and Widowers. It wasn’t long into my inauguration that I discovered the importance of honesty as an essential ingredient in the process of navigating grief and loss. Day one, five years ago today, I experienced a surge …
