Gun violence will not end

People were killing others long before you or I came to be — and they will be killing others long after you and I come to pass. … Not to be flip but it is what it is.

OK, so here’s what happened …

For better or worse, I believe in … me, again. It’s unnerving to lose yourself. I did (partly because I wanted to, mostly because I had to). Now I understand Robert Frost.

Self-evident truths among brothers

I’ve learned the older brother isn’t smarter. The older brother isn’t better looking. The younger brother is everything the older brother wants to be but can’t – because, you know …

The clock struck 00:00

Life became more evident: Do the work. Reap the rewards.

Do-or-die, that is how my mom explained it to me afterward. For five years I concentrated on one part of that equation: die. I struggled with why, against the odds, I lived.

You are not alone

No parent is ready to lose a child. What the hell are you supposed to say? “Like” a social media post. “Love” another photo. “Thoughts and prayers” sounds hollow when I cannot fathom the pain.