Brass Check Here’s a quote from Charles R. Swindoll: “Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” It’s beautiful, but what does that mean for us dads? What does that obligate us to do and provide? Well, it does not mean you have to take them to Disneyland tomorrow, or…
One of the most persistent themes in the work, writing, and speeches of Barack Obama is fatherhood. It makes sense. His life was defined by the absence of one—he felt the weight of losing his dad when his father left their family when he was two years old. In 2009, Obama reflected on fatherhood in…
It’s a scene we all remember from our childhoods. Our parents had a dinner party. Or all the relatives came over for a holiday meal. And then, after everyone had eaten, the kids were sent away. To go downstairs and watch a movie. To put on their pajamas and go to bed. It was “time…
Being a father is full of responsibilities, most of which can’t be passed on to someone else. Most men want to be the best father they can, but never had anyone directly explain to them how to do that. What we learned about fatherhood mostly came from watching our own parents. Unfortunately, many of us…
Every dad feels short on time. You have work. You have your marriage or your relationship. You have your kids and soccer practice and lunches to pack and baths to give. You have all those important conversations to have, rules to set down, homework to check, and curfews to enforce. Plus you have your own…
Social media exploits two vulnerable parts of our psyche. First, the fear of missing out. That’s why we check it so much. Did somebody say something? What happened? Is there a new viral video? Who are we supposed to be mad at today? The second is our need to be seen and heard and validated….
John Wooden began coaching basketball in 1932. When his son was born around 1939, a friend sent him a picture with a poem on it, which he hung in his home so he might see it every day. The picture that accompanies the poem is a man on a beach whose son runs behind him,…
Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher, said that every situation has two handles. You can get frustrated with your brother, he said, or you can choose instead to remember that he is your brother and that you love him and that you’d rather not fight. This idea that situations are always presenting us with two options—an easy…
We live in what is starting to feel like a dark time. Despite all our wonderful technology, despite all the poverty and disease that has been eradicated, we are also seeing massive increases in racism, in violence, in political polarization. You turn on the news and you see college-educated adults who are paid to think…
Pretty much all parents want their kids to grow up happy, well-adjusted, and good. But what exactly does “good” mean, and how do you get your kids to be that way? Good can mean “having the qualities required for a particular role,” or it can mean “that which is morally right.” If you had to…
We’re going to tackle all the big themes of our time and of all time: Grit. Resilience. Curiosity. Compassion. Character. Unconditional love. Finding purpose. Dealing with stress. Masculinity. Female empowerment. Loss. Stillness. Truthfulness. Initiative. Creativity. Passion. Family. Fun.
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