Joe MacDonald,  —

Part two in a series. Read part one.  My family was taught many lessons in the year that everything appeared to fall apart and hemophilia became a nightmare in our lives. The most significant lesson was to cherish every moment. Sometimes in life’s most significant challenges,…

Part one in a series.  I stood over my son’s hospital bed, waiting for the morphine to kick in and give him some relief. “MacDonald the Younger” continued to scream as the pain became unbearable. My boy had once described to me his experience of a bleeding…

“MacDonald the Younger” is entering the seventh grade this year. His health is terrific, and for the first time in his life, there is very little fear about participating in physical education. He knows that contact sports are out of the question and he must wear his…

  My eldest son was about to celebrate his ninth birthday. He had attended a fantastic performing arts camp. My wife and I bought Happy Meals for the entire ensemble in honor of “MacDonald the Elder’s” special day. We had an announcement that we couldn’t wait to share…

In an instant, things can change and redefine who we are. One minute life appears to take us down one road, and then we encounter something that brings us toward an entirely different destination. Whatever happens, we know that life will never be the same again, and our entire perspective…

Sometimes chronic illness holds us completely captive, and we lose moments due to pain or other complications. My family is no exception, as my youngest son experienced one year. He spent almost every holiday between October and February in the hospital. I helplessly stood by and watched my son…

Both of my sons packed and all three of us MacDonald guys were ready for what my youngest calls a “Daddy and Son Mad-capped Adventure.” My wife had an out-of-town speaking engagement, so that meant the youngest had to travel with my oldest and me. We were on our way…

I have diabetes and give myself insulin shots every evening. There is not much to the process. I draw up the insulin into a syringe and find a place in the area around my stomach. Once I choose the site, I plunge the tiny needle into my skin. No harm,…

My youngest son wanted to play baseball. “Come on, Dad!” he pleaded. “I will wear a helmet and knee pads and anything else.” I wrestled with how to answer him. My son had a considerable complication called an inhibitor. Failure to make the correct decision might cause a horrific…

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes! We can’t seem to find a way to sift through the endless sea of those irritating but necessary cardboard contraptions containing pieces of our lives. We know that we cannot stop piecing together our lives in another place. Moving forward appears to be the best…