Stories from the ridgeline
Reflections on fatherhood, faith, healing, leadership, adventure, and the spaces between expectation and reality.
September 9, 2026
Some questions don’t feel like questions at all. They feel like that moment on a trail when the ground changes beneath your feet; solid dirt giving way to loose scree. You stop, not because you’re tired, but because something underneath you has shifted. This was one of those questions for me: What good is empathy […]
September 7, 2026
Above the Tree Line In 2023, my daughter Anna and I stood on the summit of Torreys Peak in Colorado. We had spent hours climbing toward that moment. The trail had been clear, our bodies felt strong, and when we finally stepped onto the summit, we had what every climber works for: the view, the […]
September 3, 2026
I spent most of the day cleaning my house. Not the ordinary kind of cleaning where you wipe down the counters, run the vacuum, and feel satisfied because everything smells faintly like lemon. I was purging. I opened drawers I had ignored, pulled boxes from forgotten corners, and decided what still belonged in my life. […]
August 22, 2026
A while back, someone told me they didn’t think I was emotionally intelligent. The comment caught me off guard. Not because I believe I’ve mastered emotional intelligence. Far from it. I still get things wrong. I become overwhelmed. I retreat when I should lean in, and occasionally lean in when I should step back. I […]
August 7, 2026
Some days, the most important thing we build isn’t a trail, a fire pit, or even a program. Sometimes, we build a memory that should have existed years ago. Today was one of those days. I spent the morning supervising a group of at-risk teenage boys on work detail. Many of them are navigating the […]
May 24, 2026
Somewhere along the trail of growing up, many of us learned how to say, I’m sorry. We learned the words. We learned the posture. We learned how to look down at our shoes, mumble through the moment, and wait for the adult in the room to decide the conflict was over. But very few of […]
May 20, 2026
The Lesson Hidden in the Pack Today was one of those days that felt like it had been hiding a lesson in its pack the whole time. I took Ben, Ella, and Ben’s friend Tyler hiking just outside of Harpers Ferry. It was warm and humid. The kind of day where the air itself feels […]
May 14, 2026
There is a kind of person who stops on the trail after conflict and looks back. Not because they are weak. Not because they are guilty of everything. Not because they enjoy pain. But because something in them wants to walk honestly. They want to know if they stepped carelessly. They want to know if […]
May 10, 2026
There’s something both sobering and seductive about unfolding a trail map before a climb. At first glance, all you see are lines. Contour marks.Elevation gains.Switchbacks.Distance.Warnings. Sometimes, those lines alone are enough to make you question whether the journey is worth it. The terrain may appear too steep.The route too long.The climb too demanding. From the […]
May 2, 2026
A father and teacher’s reflection on lockdown, trauma, and helping children heal Some moments divide life into two worlds: the side of the door where fear first arrives, and the other side where healing must begin. April 30, 2026 began like any other school day. Sixth grade lunch. A familiar rhythm. A predictable stretch of […]
