Recently, I listened again to a story we have shared before with our Be There Dad community. It is about Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of classic books like Treasure Island. Growing up in 19th century Scotland, as a boy, he was intrigued by the work of the lamplighters who went about with a ladder…
Last week I was volunteering on my usual day at the food pantry when a new volunteer joined us. She was a young lady who appeared to be thirty-something. I introduced myself and then asked the question, I always ask: “So, what do you do when you are not volunteering here? I often get a…
Recently, I had a week full of experiences when I witnessed the presence of others and I was reminded of its power. Profiles of Presence I was invited to speak about the role of dads at a national conference focusing on family engagement. It was a large conference with hundreds of educators and school administrators…
This weekend an extraordinary event occurred. It is estimated that over 7 million people participated in an expression of democracy marching in the streets all across the country. People are saying that it was one of, if not the largest event of its kind in the history or our country. If that is correct, it…
When I first coached a soccer team of “micros” – players who were five and six years old – I wondered about the challenge of leading them as a team. I quickly found an advantage when I discovered that all of them had attended kindergarten. That fact led me to see the irreplaceable value of …
What We Remember One way a society is measured is by what it chooses to remember and what it chooses to forget. Periodically, I want to publicly remember and share some of the ideas and values Be There Dad has cherished in the past. In her book, Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott told us, …”our relationships…
Mark Wills sings a country song entitled Don’t Laugh at Me. I have it on my playlist, so I listen to it often. It is about acceptance of others who may be different than us. The refrain goes: So don’t laugh at me, don’t call me names Don’t get your pleasure from my pain ‘Cause in…
As we all approach the beginning of another school year, I want to share again an excerpt from Be There Dad. August may be my favorite month of all. For many young athletes, it is a time of new beginnings. Football and other fall sports renew practice in a big way. Newly mowed football fields…
As July has just come to a close, I reflect upon a month when I recalled our history; I was awed by our natural treasures and I re-considered our responsibilities to our children. Independence On the fourth of the month we celebrated the independence of our country. Picnics, fireworks and affirmations of pride in being…
I have good friends who are preparing to send their oldest children off to college in about a month. They have shared with me about gathering the necessities for their student’s dorm room. Like so many of us before, some place in their home has become a staging area for those items they will need…