In 1952, Margaret Thatcher’s father was driven out of office when a rival political party won a majority in the election. His position wasn’t a particularly partisan one, so it surprised him and most people when his head came up on the chopping block.  Her father was upset. He was hurt. And he could have…

It’s a touching scene. The father in The Road is giving the last of the hot chocolate they had found to his son. He pretends to make a little for himself, but he’s really giving it all to his son, who is but skin and bones at this point.  But he can’t quite pull it…

In the spring of 1921, a young ballplayer named Louis Gehrig had a tryout for the great John McGraw at the Polo Grounds. McGraw was the manager of the New York Giants and one of the greatest evaluators of talent in the history of the game.  It was a good tryout. Gehrig hit a few…

You have things you want to do in this life. Maybe you want to write a book or you’re in the middle of starting a company. Maybe you’re trying to win a championship or run for president.  You want to be a great dad too, but is it possible to do all these things at…

There is so much you want to teach them. When they’re little. When they’re teenagers. When they are out of the house and about to get married. When they are struggling at their job. When they are raising kids of their own.  What’s the best way to do that? Well, depending on their age, one…

There is a great story about a young Spartan woman, Gorgo, who would one day become queen. Despite her royal status, like all Spartans she was raised to be self-sufficient, and without any frills or needless luxury.  So imagine Gorgo’s surprise when she witnessed a distinguished visitor to Sparta have his shoes put on by…

C’mon, Dad, again! One more time! Can we keep going a little longer? Let’s start over! I don’t want to stop! You’ve heard all these things more times than you can count. The request for one more book before bed. One more time riding on your back. To watch that funny video one more time….

Nothing about Marcus Aurelius’ reign was fair. Fate tested him with one catastrophe after another. The Parthians invaded and triggered a war that would last five years. Then the River Tiber flooded, destroying homes and livestock, causing a famine in Rome. Then, after victory against the Parthians, Romans brought back a deadly contagion, which became…

You work very hard and are able to provide. Not just the basic necessities, but all sorts of extras. Because of you, your kids have a swimming pool. They have nice vacations. They have their own room. They have a big TV downstairs with lots of channels. They have all this and more. And yet,…

How do you get through to your kids? How do you show them what’s right? How can you make sure they know how much you care about them? That you’re there for them? The answer is simple: You can be there. A lot. There is a joke that the word “love” is actually spelled “T-I-M-E.”…