In my last post, I said I knew the challenges awaiting Alex in Florida. Here’s how. In the summer of 1987, I was working for the Shoe Service Institute of America in Chicago’s Western suburbs. I edited their magazine, Shoe Service, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My boss had just announced his retirement. At their summer […]
Tag: resilience
Adventures in Parenting
In 2017, I was hired to photograph a conference in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. A few weeks before the conference, Alex called. “How far is Ponte Vedra Beach from Gainesville?” I looked it up—about an hour and a half. She asked if she could tag along—and if I could extend the trip by a day […]
Thank You Sears
One of the great joys of this blog—and the book—is being able to share my photos. Almost all of the images you see here come from my archives. People often ask how I got started in photography. I wish the answer were inspirational. It’s not. I got a credit card. The summer before my senior […]
The End of the Dog Park Days
On a September afternoon in 2011, Roxy, Blitz, Kal-El and I went to the dog park. It was their favorite place to go. When we arrived, I opened the car door and they sprinted to the gate. Once inside, Roxy usually went off and explored. Blitz found his friends to play and Kal-El followed him […]
Affordable Care
In June of 2013, my wife and I were awakened by a phone call. Her mother, whose health had been failing, was dying. We needed to come to the hospital immediately. What followed was an emotional and stressful morning—especially for my wife, but also for me. I had never seen someone die before. I didn’t […]
What If I’m Dead Already?
Almost 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. It’s happened to me twice. The first time came in September 2000. I was sitting in my office when my doctor called with the results of a biopsy taken earlier in the week. He told me I had melanoma. “What does that mean?” I asked. […]
Agent of Change
When Alex returned from Florida, it only took a few days before her pain became uncontrollable. She was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital for what would become an extended stay. The pediatric oncology floor had strict rules to protect patients. At the top of the list—no animals. After a lot of pushing—and more than a […]
Kal-El
On a warm spring day in 2010, Alex shouted excitedly. “Dad, come see this!” She was looking over her mother’s shoulder at a Facebook post. A woman out for a morning walk found an abandoned puppy in a box by the side of the road. She couldn’t keep him and was trying to find him […]
Roxy: The Golden Years
Roxy wasn’t supposed to be my dog. She was for my wife and kids. In fact, I was told to keep my distance. Roxy joined the family while I was on a business trip to Orlando in 2006. She was a bundle of Golden Retriever energy from day one. She loved her new family and […]
Happy Birthday, Robert
Almost 40 years ago, during an exhausting day, I was taking a break when a man I’d never met came over, put a bottle down in front of me and said, “You look like you could use a beer.” Before the bottle was empty, Robert DiRinaldo and I were no longer strangers. That conversation marked […]