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Summer Vacation, Part 2: What Does That Even Look Like?
Summertime can be the perfect respite to balance out a year of hard work and academic achievement. As I mentioned yesterday, when I was a child I thought of school as my job. The summer break, therefore, was my vacation time. But it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. Three whole months […]
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Summer Vacation, Part 1: To Veg or Not to Veg
Awwww…summer. It’s my favorite season. It’s been that way my entire life. There’s so much to do! As a kid, just the simple act of going outside to play can be a complete game-changer. Add in a significant amount of uninterrupted free time in which to do said playing, and you have yourself a whole […]
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Celebrate Your Connection
June 16 is a very special date in the Dickens’ household. That is the date my wife, Margaret, and I got married. It was not only a special day, but also one that I was unsure if I would ever see! My wife and I dated for a long time, so when we decided to […]
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Time Travel and the Art of Intentional Living
Question: Han Solo, Captain Kirk, or Doctor Who? There are probably three major camps that will come out of this question. One group includes those who have a clear favorite of the three names listed. The second will be those who answer simply…”Yes!” Then there will be those who answer the question with another question…”Wha?!?” […]
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Play Ball!
I love baseball. I love the tradition. I love the history. I love the crack of the bat, the sound of a fastball hitting the catcher’s mitt, the buzz of the crowd. I even love the pace of the game, lending itself to conversation drifting along on the breeze. Baseball is the perfect combination of […]
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Ask the Expert: The Good News and Bad News About Blowing It
“I totally lost it with my 8-year-old daughter. We both ended up in our rooms crying our eyes out, and I don’t know where to go from here. Have I ruined our relationship for good? What do I do now?” (Kelly) Kelly, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is […]
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How to Stop Getting Lucky
When I was younger I loved Garfield — you know…the cartoon cat. Loved Lasagna. Hated Mondays. I had a distant relative who sent me and my siblings Christmas presents every year. Although it was an incredibly kind gesture, they would invariably be horrible gifts. One year, however, I opened the box to discover a genuine […]
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The Importance of Christmas Traditions
“Did you hear that?” “It’s nothing; go back to sleep.” “Daron! I. THINK. IT. WAS. SANTA!!!” I was seven. My brother had woken me up, and I was smack dab in the middle of one of my favorite Christmas traditions: The Christmas Pallet. “The Christmas Pallet?” you may be asking. “Were you living in a […]