I was at a friend's birthday party, hosted by a couple I didn't know very well. While walking around to check on my wife, I overheard the host couple having an argument. The husband said, "You need to stop acting like a crazy person." There...
I remember throwing the football with my sons when they were seven and 10 and telling my wife afterward, "I don't think they would ever come inside if I didn't make them." Back then, staying close felt effortless. They wanted me in the yard as...
I heard a dad say that when his kids disrespected their mom, he would walk in the room and say, "Nobody talks to my wife that way." I loved it. It sounded strong. Protective. Decisive. So I borrowed it. The phrase itself is solid. The...
When Nancie and I first got married, she said, "Can you please wash your shaving cream and whiskers out of the sink?" I had never thought about that one day in my life. It's not a cereal bowl. She wants our bed made up every...
As someone who spends too much time in airports, I have a lot of time to people-watch. When I see a couple who look to be older than 35 being fun, flirtatious, and attentive with each other, I think, I bet they aren't married. And...
I had a great dad. But I also had other men who invested in me. One of them was my Uncle Donnie. He started dating my aunt when I was five, and just let me pal around with him. When he'd come home from work,...
The month after my friend and I graduated from college, he called to tell me his parents were getting a divorce. His dad never saw it coming. My friend didn't either. His mom was done. But she didn't leave angry. She left free. She started...
I’ll be honest. There have been seasons in our marriage when I kept score. I’d give myself points if I did extra chores. I took away points from my wife, Nancie, if she didn’t do what I thought she should. I’m sure it started in...
Some of the smartest, most successful people I know—leaders, doctors, lawyers—can solve complex problems, lead huge teams, and make critical decisions every day. Yet at home, they feel stuck. And I get it. I've always been someone who pours everything into my work. But what...
My adult kids would tell you that growing up, they watched a good marriage. Not a perfect one, but a solid “we really like each other, and we are in this together” kind of marriage. They saw affection. They saw us trying to figure things...