The woman who gave me life and shaped me to be the person that I am passed away on March 5th. My mother Irma was a strong woman – a really strong woman. She was the matriarch of our family. I joke that the rest of us were just part of her supporting cast…
Saying those words out loud is pretty surreal, but last week, my wife Kathy and I became grandparents for the first time. Amelia Claire Smeraski was born on October 15th to our daughter Jaimie and her husband A.J. I can already tell that Amelia is a beauty, like her mom and grandma, with a calm…
The first time I looked into the eyes of my newborn child, my life was changed forever. An earthshattering feeling of love, humility and responsibility overwhelmed me and I realized at that moment that I had a new job that would last the rest of my life. Fatherhood has brought me more pleasure than I…
Like most organizations, NAHREP was forced to cancel its convention which was scheduled for this week. Over 1,100 people were registered and we had a great program in place so it was unfortunate that we had to cancel, but it was definitely the right decision. Our sponsors, chapters, members, boards, and partners have been supportive…
I love buying gifts for people, and enjoy it even more when it is unexpected. In other words, I love seeing family and expressing our love for each other – I don’t love the obligatory gift giving that comes with the holidays. I do it, but I don’t love it as much. I know that…
This is the time of year when social media is flooded with photos and stories of our friends enjoying exotic vacations from around the world. I enjoy travel, but I have found that vacations can also be stressful and exhausting. Exactly the opposite of what they are supposed to be. My advice is to use…
This past week, our daughter Marisa moved to NYC. With Jaimie soon to be married and Aaron in college, Kathy and I are officially empty nesters. Change is good but not always easy; Kathy and I have always been good at being present in the evolving stations of our lives. We had a lot of…
My two youngest kids are moving on to major milestones. Marisa graduated from college this weekend and Aaron is graduating from high school next month. This Summer may be my last chance to provide them with some useful wisdom that will help prepare them for life. You might be surprised, but my intent is to…