The Long Goodbye

My mom fell ill with stomach flu the day of my dad’s wake and couldn’t go. That was hard on all of us, but especially for her. I resisted well-meaning calls to convince her otherwise because, as I told my family, “I don’t want to have to do this again anytime soon.”...

The Loved One 

A couple of hours after my father died, I was sitting in the back office of a funeral home waiting for the director to arrive when I heard a car pull up and the sound of a heavy door opening and closing. Getting up from my seat, I went to the window and pulled back...

Eulogy for John Dublanica

March 7, 2024  When my brother and I were children in the 1970’s my father loved to play records on the old hi-fi in our living room. His choices were, of course, as varied as his eclectic tastes– ranging from classical music, recordings of Shakespeare plays,...

Remarks At My Father’s Wake

March 6, 2024 When I was a small child the synapses in my brain finally linked up and I realized that I had a whole life in front of me – and that I’d eventually need to get a job. So, I churned through all the possibilities little boys consider. Maybe I would become...

Rest in Peace, Chuck

Charles Feeney, 1931 – 2023 Businessman, Philanthropist, and my hero. Your reward in Heaven will be great. I wish there were more people like you. “Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night sweet prince; and fights of angels sing thee to thy...

Superhero

Most of the deep philosophical discussions I have with my daughter occur when she’s in the backseat while I’m driving. Yesterday was one of those times.  “How is God different from us?” she asked me as we waited at a traffic light. “You and I are finite,” I said....

Not Being Nice

My father needed to have his hearing aids adjusted so, once again, I found myself going to Costco. Because there was a bad accident on the highway, we were half an hour late.  “There won’t be any handicapped spots,” I said, frustrated.  “You said that the last...

The Thirty-Six

I was heading to the break room to grab a cup of coffee when I passed by the collection box for the school supply drive my department conducts every summer. It was empty, which was concerning because we were giving the supplies away in two weeks.   ...

The Dude Abides

Last Friday morning, I took my father to Costco to get hearing aids. Pulling into the crowded parking lot, I said to him, “I bet there won’t be any handicapped spots.”  “Why do you say that?” he asked.  “Because there never are at Costco.”  Whenever I...

Girl Dad

I was at work and about to go into an important meeting when my phone alerted me that I had a voice mail. It was my daughter’s summer day camp, informing me Natalie had a wardrobe malfunction.  “Your daughter wore white leggings today,” the recording told me....