A couple of weeks ago, Texas Country Reporter and Dairy Queen ran a fun contest on Instagram: “What would you do to pay it forward with a $100 DQ gift card?” They asked followers to comment their ideas and then they’d pick 25 winners. I threw in the idea to walk inside the store, hand… Continue reading A Drive-Thru Kindness Story That’s About to Happen
Category: Family Stories & Musings
The heart of the blog: personal stories, poems, and reflections on the beauty and chaos of big family life.
A Quick Check-In: Bring Back Big Families Is Not Dead
Hey everyone, It’s been a while since my last post here on Bring Back Big Families. I’ve stepped away from blogging for a bit while I sort out next steps. The blog isn’t going anywhere. I’m still deciding which direction to take it moving forward. A few different options are on the table, and I’m… Continue reading A Quick Check-In: Bring Back Big Families Is Not Dead
The Blog at a Crossroads
I must admit to being really frustrated lately with my blog. I don’t know what I should do as I seem to have run out of steam for posting anything here and I don’t know why. I want it to succeed, but it is not. And I am frustrated by that. I have another creative… Continue reading The Blog at a Crossroads
Ozymandias: A Dad Poem, but (Again) Not Mine
I’m still thinking a lot lately about death, about what we leave behind, and how all of it weaves into this wild, beautiful thing we call dad life. Two poems keep surfacing in my mind for my own hypothetical funeral: John Donne’s Death Be Not Proud (read my reflection on it here) and Percy Bysshe… Continue reading Ozymandias: A Dad Poem, but (Again) Not Mine
Death Be Not Proud: A Dad Poem, but Not Mine
This post contains an Amazon affiliate link—I make a small commission if you purchase at no extra cost to you! Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about death. Two guys I grew up listening to and watching—Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down and James Van Der Beek—both left us far too soon after hard fights… Continue reading Death Be Not Proud: A Dad Poem, but Not Mine
Failure: A Dad Poem
Ten days after the intended streak died, here’s the poem about why it always does. Still in my poetry era. For a few more days. Three days seems to be the max of what I’m capable of I start strong Three days of roving rolling and strolling But day four is a crash and burn… Continue reading Failure: A Dad Poem
Elegy to My Hairline: A Dad Poem
One poem every day for twenty-eight straight days this February. Suffice it to say, I’m in my Poetry Era. My hairline quietly steps backlike an old friend saying goodbye without fuss.Temples thinning, crown opening to sky.I trace the new geography in the mirrorand feel less panic with each look, only time doing its gentle work.… Continue reading Elegy to My Hairline: A Dad Poem
Dad’s Day in Haiku: A Dad Poem
One poem every day for twenty-eight straight days this February. Suffice it to say, I’m in my Poetry Era. Alarm clock ringing loudly across the bedroom. 5:10 comes too fast. Kitchen light stings my eyes never really rested. The oven is set. Lunches packed, breakfast commences with groggy heads. Breakfast rouses all. 7:00, out the… Continue reading Dad’s Day in Haiku: A Dad Poem
Ode on the Bedtime Chaos and Guilt of Another Sleepless Night: A Dad Poem
One poem every day for twenty-eight straight days this February. Suffice it to say, I’m in my Poetry Era. Most nights unfold the same way.My four-year-old wages war on sleep—one more story,one more sip,one more urgent whisper through the dark.Then the escapes: feet thumping the floor,five times, six, seven,each return a tiny surrender. I begin… Continue reading Ode on the Bedtime Chaos and Guilt of Another Sleepless Night: A Dad Poem
Counting Down to “Discuss with Dad” – A Dad’s Dream for Real Talks
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Bring Back Big Families! As a dad raising a big, lively family, I’m constantly looking for simple but powerful ways to slow down the whirlwind… Continue reading Counting Down to “Discuss with Dad” – A Dad’s Dream for Real Talks