The subtle signals of love from father to son. — “Do you want a burrito?” he asked me. “Huh?” I replied. “A burrito. For lunch. Do you want one?” “OK. We going to Taco Bell or something?” “No. I’m going to make them,” he said. “Yeah, right. You can’t make burritos.” “Wiseass. Watch. I’ll show you.” Burritos. Now that I…

A Tequila, bone marrow, and cancer Benedict — “To another day on this beautiful planet,” our waiter Carlos said as our small glasses clinked and we threw back the best tequila in the joint (Sauza, it was Bill’s Cafe after all). It felt good. Not the tequila. That was mediocre at best. Celebrating just a simple, light moment…

Profiling true friends while fighting cancer. — Without exception, every person who bestowed that gem upon us as their contribution and “help” to our situation is “a plain asshole.” If I were a violent man, I’d go so far as to say using that line is throat punch worthy. “Remember, take care of yourself.” I hate that…

I realized that I gave everything I could give, then everyone moved on. — The Doldrums. It’s an area of the ocean around the equator, feared by sailors because there is little to no surface wind. Sailing ships can be stranded there for weeks. With nowhere to go, and nothing to do, the Doldrums is a place sailors “survive.” Over the last several weeks…

A tale of enlightened discovery. — There was a hand-sketch of the tree pictured here on the back of a kombucha label I found littering an oceanside curb hosting a “spiritually” decorated van. Under the sketch, there was charcoal-colored writing, notes maybe. It said that if you sit in the Lotus position in front of this…

A cancer mom’s fight to go home. — It was a beautifully dreary Saturday morning. Cold. Slightly gray. Easy. I engaged in playful banter with the security staff at the hospital as I flashed my ID and vax card and exchanged the previous night’s security bracelet for today’s. Day five in this joint had a certain weird serenity…

Quasi soft-core porn, hospital bed spooning, and top-notch juice boxes. — First came moaning that put Meg Ryan to shame. Then came the dirty talk. Then came the full-on sex acts playing on my laptop. No, this wasn’t an afternoon adventure on PornHub; it was my wife and I watching a TV show in her hospital bed. Awkward. As I walked…

One day you’re relaxing poolside on vacation with your wife, the next day, bam! Your wife has cancer, and you’re now her caretaker. — One day you’re relaxing poolside on vacation with your wife, the next day, bam! Your wife has cancer, and you’re now her caretaker. This is what happened to me and my wife, Alicia when she was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia (HCL). As the husband, you have about 20 seconds…

“Face your fears.” “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” We throw these phrases around to encourage others to do what is… — “Face your fears.” “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” We throw these phrases around to encourage others to do what is difficult. Like most quotes and adages, they are as limited as they are universally used. “Facing your fears” might help you climb a ladder to…