"It's not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world.  It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” – L.R. Knost I don’t think there is another parent in the world that would disagree with me when I say this is the toughest job we are given.   The most rewarding, but also the hardest.   We have a lot of sleepless nights.   We are always worried about this little human’s survival.   But to me, that’s not the hard part.   The hard part is how we help ensure that when they do grow up, that they are the best version of their selves they can be.   I’m sure each parent has a different image of that in their head.   Some have hopes for their financial security.   Some will focus on the impact they make on the world.   Some will provide all the training in the world for them to be a world class athlete.   There is nothing wrong with any of these aspirations f...

Travel means a lot of things to different people.   For some, it means adventure.   For others, relaxation.   For many, it means stress.   I travel for work on a weekly basis.   I sit in airports, on planes, and in hotel lobbies watching all the passengers and guests, imagining their stories.   Are they business travelers like me?   Families traveling with children could be visiting elder relatives or coming to Florida for a vacation.   Young men and women in groups could be traveling for sports teams or for their first vacation without parents.   Anxious passengers demonstrating they don’t typically fly, could be traveling for funerals or job interviews.   Everyone has a story.   I sit and watch and live vicariously through them for a few moments of time to feel what travel means for them.   When you travel via plane for work, it begins to feel as routine as commuting daily through traffic in a car.   You deal with ...