True Story

In 2013, I founded ’Ohana Oasis—a non-profit organization that provides weeklong retreats for parents who have experienced the death of a child. And as you may have already guessed, my child died too. Her name was Alison Belle, and I lost her to a brain tumor at the age of five. I absolutely adored being […]

WHEN I volunteered to facilitate the LGBT parent affinity group at my kids’ elementary school, I didn’t think ahead to the moment when everyone would gather in the gymnasium and each facilitator would report back on behalf of the group. It had been a long time since I’d outed myself from the front of a […]

When I explain to people my parenting situation—that my husband travels a lot for work, and that I do most of the school drops-offs/pick-ups, doctor appointments, dinner prep, bedtime, and middle-of-the-night puking cleanup for our two small children—a look of mixed horror and pity often washes over their faces. “How are you coping?” they ask, […]

Late in my second trimester I was hit with the thought, “What if this baby grows up to be someone I don’t like?” At the time, my worst fear was that my child would turn out to be a drug addict, a religious zealot, or a Republican. My partner and I didn’t want to know […]

We’re at the bookstore where Eleanor, edging on two and dangerously bright, gropes the staff weekly picks like summer fruit. Touching her back, I remind her again to look with her eyes, not her hands. “That’s great parenting.” It’s the cashier—a woman with a short bob and blunt bangs. “Thanks,” I say, yanked toward the […]

Picture this if you will, one of those teens you hear about in the news, see on the MAX, or who maybe appear in nightmares about your own kids. They’re never home, ignore authority, and get into serious trouble. They’re angry, shut down, and living by their own rules. Now imagine opening your home to […]

More and more, the subject of open marriages has been popping up in conversation. I don’t mean group marriage or a Sister Wives man-plus-harem situation—I mean people having sex with someone besides their spouse… and that spouse being okay with it. Of course this has been going on for a long time (swingers, “key parties,” […]

“Dad, why is that band called ‘Crazy Horse’?” “Is God a real person?” “Why do people have tombstones?” These questions, posed by my twin six-year-old daughters, led to a big change in my life. In 2014, work had been insanely busy for this single dad. The girls had to tolerate my need to work overtime […]

Our son Xander is six, and every year, he gets two Christmases. It’s not because his father Dallas and I are overindulgent— although we are overindulgent. Between Xander being a late-in-life child, an only child, and his dad being a completest collector who would be buying all the toys anyway, there’s no way around it. […]

It was the day before Christmas Eve, December 23. I dropped my 18-month-old boy, Aidan, off at his daycare, and drove to the courthouse. I was to appear before the judge to find out if I’d be sentenced to prison—and if so, for how long. Three years prior, before Aidan was born—before I knew that […]

My family was legally recognized in Mississippi the day the Mormons came to our door. They were two teens in starched white shirts, with name tags and holy books, wanting to talk about religion. I smiled at the irony (and their perfect timing), and said, “Boys, have you heard the good news?” It reminded me […]

“Michael, how much is 10 plus 12?” my sister-in-law asked my 6-year-old during a recent family reunion. She turned to her 5-year-old and asked the same question, clearly trying to demonstrate that her son was a better mathematician. When she launched this competition, I felt a stab of fear—and confusion. The moment took me back […]