I will never, ever forget that feeling — the first time I held my son in my arms. Holy cow. The amount of love that poured into every crevice of my being was so full, so complete, it felt like it filled even the parts of me that no MRI or X-ray could ever detect. I didn’t even know those ...

Let me tell you — figuring life out is not easy. I’m 48 years old. Yep. Forty-eight. Soon enough it’ll be 49, and then the inevitable and slightly horrifying gulp — 50. And I know, I know, I should be embracing it. Age comes with wisdom, experience and a whole lot of lessons. With ...

So, this weekend — if all goes according to plan — I’ll be over 4,000 miles away from home, somewhere in the beautiful country of Poland. Yep. Poland. Not the “drive three miles down 224” version I thought at first, but the actual Poland, across the Atlantic. And no, this isn’t a ...

There are few things more unifying and, oddly enough, divisive in this town than pizza. In Youngstown, pizza isn’t just dinner. It’s a love language. A debate sport. A weekly ritual. A personality trait. We take our slices seriously — but thankfully, not ourselves. And before we get ...

Have you ever thought of yourself as a creator? Or the recipient of what others have created? Or — maybe even more puzzling — the one who neither creates nor receives? The other day, as I was traveling back from D.C., I took the more scenic route through western Loudoun County. I let ...

Let’s talk about family dynamics. And I’ll be honest — this one might get me in trouble. But here we go anyway, with as much grace and generality as I can offer. Blending families is no small task. It’s not just two people saying “I do” and riding off into the sunset. Nope. ...