Grace Under Fire: What My Son Taught Me About Composure
When my 12-year-old son faced heckling parents while umpiring a Little League game, he showed me that real composure isn’t about control—it’s about grace, even when others lose theirs.
When my 12-year-old son faced heckling parents while umpiring a Little League game, he showed me that real composure isn’t about control—it’s about grace, even when others lose theirs.
As we get older, friendship looks different. The best ones don’t need constant contact — they bring quiet peace, honesty, and steadiness through life’s chaos. This reflection explores what real connection means and why the friends who truly see you are worth holding onto.
Reading Braiding Sweetgrass together taught us about reciprocity, gratitude, and the wisdom of the Three Sisters. A family reflection on learning from others and respecting the earth.
A strange encounter at a football game becomes a reflection on empathy, boundaries, and how to release the dark energy we sometimes absorb from others.
A new bike, a little umpire money, and the lesson that time does the heavy lifting. Here’s how I’m teaching my kids that saving before 20 is the real snowball effect — with a simple tool to show the magic of compounding.
One night of umpiring, vinyl, and baseball videos reminded me that even as Gio grows more independent, music and small moments still stitch us together.
Parenting a pre-teen sometimes feels like watching an eclipse—the light dims, conversation shrinks, and frustration flares. I’ve found myself losing my temper, but also found a way back: giving my son a true name—Rising Sun—to remind me who he is and who he’s becoming. This post is about discipline, anger, and learning not to dim his light.
Parenting a pre-teen means protecting the bubble of boyhood while teaching responsibility. Here’s how I’m using scaffolding to guide my son through chaos, bad decisions, and growth.
At a youth baseball game, I watched a dad coach his son after every pitch. The boy kept looking at him instead of playing. It reminded me why parents need to stop coaching from the sidelines—and let their kids fail, learn, and grow.
It didn’t ruin my day. But it showed me how I want my kids to show up—online and off.
I used to think leadership meant having the answer. But over time—through parenting, running a business, and watching one brilliant baseball coach reframe a moment—I’ve come to believe something else: asking the right question might be the most powerful move we can make. This post is about the shift from control to curiosity, and what happens when we lead with belief instead of certainty.
A love letter to four wildly different 80s movies—and what they still teach me about wonder, responsibility, growing up, and sharing joy with my kids.