Category: parenthood
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“I Did It” — Finding Meaning in a Christmas Vacation Meme
Replying to the daily prompt about favorite memes, I share a custom creation from a holiday classic that takes on a much deeper meaning with age. This is a reflection on the silent burdens of manhood, the transitions of fatherhood, and finding the strength to cut away the dead weight…
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The boys are back in town
Summer vacation isn’t just about time off; it’s about the quiet transition of family dynamics. As I navigate this summer with both my sons home, I’m reflecting on the beauty of low-key traditions—like mini-golf and bowling—and the ‘inverse nest syndrome’ that comes with raising young adults.
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A Shift in Reality: All of This Has Happened Before
What does it mean to question reality? Rob reflects on the surreal, life-altering moment of leaving the hospital as a first-time dad.
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Picard’s Nephew and the Pearl Jam Rabbit Hole
Rebuilding connections as a divorced dad often means missing the ‘becoming’ in my sons’ lives. A powerful line from Star Trek: Generations about lost experiences resonates when I witness my 10-year-old process the same raw 90s grunge anthems (like Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”) that validated my own ‘outsider’ survival. From Spotify…
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Take Kid 2 to Work Day: An Unexpected Win
When a “polar vortex” and a scheduling crunch forced a 180-minute round trip and a “Take Kid 2 to Work Day,” I was bracing for a disaster. Instead, I found an unexpected win. Read how a day in my “Sanctuary Classroom” offered a fresh perspective on the parenting grind, the…
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Strong Enough to Sob
Can a superhero movie or a 90s tear-jerker actually define your philosophy on life? From the heroic end of Tony Stark to a ‘George Costanza’ moment during Home Alone, I’m looking at the father-son dynamics that shaped me. At 51, I’ve realized that being ‘strong enough to sob’ isn’t a…
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On phoning it in, and self-perceived failure
It’s very easy to just get caught up in the day routine of our daily wise and feel like we are “just going through the motions”
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Crashing Into The Learning Curve
Kid 1 is having some struggles in his first semester away at college. I have to say that this wasn’t unexpected.
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Kid 1 goes to college
I got a kid in college. I got a kid in college on a scholarship. I got a kid who is about to experience the most amazing four years of his entire life. I’m just excited to be a witness.
