A Makenzie Restoration

The dreams about her have subsided. I don’t think about her everyday as I have in years past and I’m needing to play old audio to remember her voice. Six years ago today, my oldest daughter, Makenzie — who is now my youngest — was invited into heaven.  “Six years” is a long time as I

Robin Williams – The Comedic Pause

There is a tool used in a monologue of comics called “the comedic pause.”  The purpose of this pause is to set up a laugh line. In essence, a comic would tell a story and right before the punch line, he’d pause, creating a sense of tension before he’d ‘drop the funny line’ – the

Makenzie: Five Years Old

Today is my ‘oldest’ daughters birthday.  There won’t be presents.  There won’t be cake.  You won’t find our family all together dining at her favorite restaurant or sharing stories of past celebrations around the table. Makenzie has graduated from all of that.  Her final birthday celebration was five years ago today, a month before she died.

The Beautiful Death

I park a few blocks away from my office.  In part because there are rarely any spaces next to my building but mostly because I enjoy the walk.  19th century homes give way to our beautiful campus at Concordia University St. Paul. This time of year, the pathway I take is blanketed with death.  Thousands

I Want More Pictures

I’ve poured over them.  I’ve studied them.  I’ve printed, emailed, posted and cropped them.  They are the pictures I have of Makenzie.  I know every shadow and line of her face in the photos and they remind me of the joy and full life that she lead. As of late, Kellie and I are longing

Changing the Lyrics

If I let my thoughts wander, setting them adrift on the breeze of the past, often, they come to rest on Makenzie’s love of music.  This morning, they recall a song that sprang from her 6th grade lips every time we were driving in the car.  Her favorite — my favorite — FFH’s “One of