To the haters, It’s tempting to want to hate you back. But that’s useless. It won’t help anything. All it does is perpetuate the hate between us. And that’s foolish. Instead, I will say that I love you. I feel for you and with you. I sense your pain. Isn’t that what causes the hate … Continue reading A love poem to the haters
In the process of becoming better, it’s easy to think we are greater than we really are. And it’s one of the worst mistakes we can make, touting our strengths and toting our accomplishments. But the answer isn't to think we are lesser than we are. That won’t do; it does no good. For we … Continue reading What is the greatest greatness in life?
Silver doors quickly slide open, and my family and I piled into the subway car with everyone else. All of the seats were taken: It was morning rush hour. But, our five year old whined, “I waaannt toooo siiiit.” Mortified, we tried to hush him thoroughly. But before we did, a man in his fifties … Continue reading Surprising love in a city of strangers
Popcorn, beer, and fans in blue surrounded us. Summer sun was beating down; a cool wind comforted us; and the crowd roared when a homerun soared over the back wall. His face glowed with hope and joy as we sat: My son and I perched in the Bronx. He knew that I didn’t like staying … Continue reading Fatherhood: Reflections on the last days of summer with my son
Loneliness is an unseen wound many of us carry, buried in us, festering and hard to heal. Loneliness and I know each other well. I’ve had long seasons of life where it haunted me: my father dying when I was eight, growing up as a minority, being single until my thirties, and living in New … Continue reading Punching loneliness in the face
New York can be a hard place. People are rushing around you, treating you as if you weren't human, only something in their way. The bustle can be overwhelming. You can get lost in the shuffle and feel like a number. But living here with a family has been very different, especially with a newborn. … Continue reading How New Yorkers react to our five pound baby
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and we were in Washington Square Park, the iconic park in downtown Manhattan. The large marshmallow clouds marched in rows over the skyline; there was a slight breeze that brought comfort from the warmth of the sun shining down on the sea of humanity. The fountain was spraying water … Continue reading The Saturday afternoon we lost our son
On an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, one of his guests, Ramit Sethi, talked about prenuptial agreements, or prenups, which are contracts signed before people get married that dictate rights to property and what happens after there is a divorce. They were both in favor of them. It was interesting. I don't mean that … Continue reading Have you ever considered a prenup?
The smells of New York City are usually the butt of a joke (which is often associated with the smell of a butt). But in the spring, there is something sweet in the air. It’s surprising. There are trees that are scattered all over downtown that have this refreshing scent that overtakes your senses, your … Continue reading In NYC, spring is in the air
On our way home from school, a stream of neighborhood children cross at an intersection where a woman with a rich Latin-American accent greets every child by name as she helps them across the street every day. Dulce’s our crosswalk lady. She makes our neighborhood feel like home. Dulce’s always wearing her uniform and a … Continue reading What the crosswalk lady said unsettled me
