Is This Mike On?

By themselves, the small steps don’t seem to matter. You wonder if you will ever get where you are going.

You realize they talk about you, dads. And not always in a good way.

For the longest time, they wouldn’t talk to us.

Her day is so calendared that her headaches have to ask for an appointment. I’ve been so motionless at times, my kids have hung their coats on me by mistake.

She’s chirping at me again.

You’ve got to be nicer, she tells me. I don’t want to be nicer this early in the morning. It goes against my nature.

If they announce the end of the world in the newspaper, she will never know.
I’m such a news junkie, regime change updates are sent to my in-box.

The next time we have another day from a Sam Raimi horror movie, help me remember today.

My high school senior daughter, part of the future of America, the hopes and dreams of the Henneke family tree, holds up the business end of Nerf gun to her face. 
She’s looking at it closely
looking, looking
until she pulls the trigger.
Doink! She recoils as the Nerf dart bounces harmlessly off her cheek.
You can’t underestimate the [...]

I listen to my church leaders. Honestly, I do.
It’s Sunday and they’re talking to us about how we spend our time. We sit on it, waste it and try to toss it in the corner when nobody’s looking. But it keeps going.
We don’t always think about making the best choice when something good or mediocre [...]