Tag: love

A Couple of Feet in Either Direction

In February 2013, on the way home from my best friend's wedding in St. Lucia, a tractor hit our bus a couple of feet from the passenger cabin. The truck driver who caused it did not survive. Five years later, lightning hit our house while we were inside. Ten years later, I lost the friend whose wedding put me on that bus. This is an essay about the near misses we see, the far greater number we never hear about, and why surviving does not mean you were chosen, but does leave you with a choice.

I Have Lived Four Lives. My Forties Are All of Them at Once.

Family, then friends, then yourself, then a family of your own. Each decade of life has its own center of gravity, until the forties arrive and ask you to live all four at once. This essay argues those decades were never separate lives but an apprenticeship: belonging, chosen loyalty, self-knowledge, and responsibility, all called on in the same afternoon. It takes the honest objection seriously (maybe the pattern is just hindsight), then lands on what the forties ask of us, closing with a mantra my mom carved into a plaque for my thirtieth birthday.

We Don’t Talk About the Weather

Reflecting on a deep friendship with Chad, emphasizing that meaningful conversations focused on significant ideas and honesty overshadowed trivial topics like the weather. I try to highlight the importance of genuine connections that enhance personal growth and urge readers to prioritize substantial discussions over small talk, reinforcing that vital conversations require intentionality.

Not All Opinions Are Created Equal

We live in a world that treats all opinions as equal. They are not. This essay makes the case that expertise matters, that direct experience outweighs uninformed confidence, and that the willingness to ask 'what does this person actually know, and why?' is one of the most underrated habits in modern life. Featuring a hard look at how we evaluate polarizing public figures, and a simple framework for thinking more honestly about whose opinion deserves your attention.

Marriage Advice: Three Dates Per Month

Discussing the importance of intentionally scheduling time with your spouse to strengthen your marriage, introducing the concept of Three Dates Per Month. By designating one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner date each month, couples can ensure they prioritize their relationship amidst life's demands, fostering connection and anticipation.

What’s Wrong With Loving Everyone Equally?

This essay challenges the instinct to feel automatic loyalty toward people who share our identity traits such as gender, race, nationality, or religion. It argues that this impulse is simply modern tribalism in new packaging, and that true equality cannot coexist with identity-based favoritism. The piece makes the case for universal humanism, the idea that moral concern should extend equally to all people, regardless of the group they belong to.

Breakfast with a Legend – and the Letter That Proved It. John Wooden Meets My Dad.

Breakfast with a legend: In 1986 my dad struck up an impromptu, hours-long breakfast with Coach John Wooden—then received a handwritten thank-you note and signed Pyramid of Success as proof that kindness leaves a paper trail. This Father’s Day we framed the relic, honoring the quiet greatness of both men.

Eulogizing Esther M. Tatalo Nicastro, My Mom

Reflecting on the profound loss of mom, Esther M. Tatalo Nicastro, eulogizing her as a kind, loving presence. Through grief, we honor her legacy of love and connection with everyone she knew.

Frank Sinatra On Nationalism

“If you don't know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway because he's just like you. He has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. It's one world, pal. We're all neighbors. ” -Frank Sinatra

Where Is The Love?

Listening to my Wake Up! playlist recently this lyric from the Black Eyed Peas hit me in a profound way because each line speaks to something I have written about