My youngest son, Caeleb, is working this summer as an office intern at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I serve as pastor. Even though I am his father, “MacDonald the Younger” does not report to me. He reports to the business manager. That boundary…
Columns
Many people believe that if a disability or struggle is not visible, it must not be real. I learned this lesson firsthand as I watched my son Caeleb live with severe hemophilia A and its lasting effects. His challenges are not always obvious to others, but they affect nearly every…
Someone recently told me they thought they were experiencing arrival fallacy. I’d heard the term before. It describes the feeling of reaching a long-awaited goal, only to discover that it doesn’t bring the lasting happiness you imagined. After the excitement fades, life feels surprisingly ordinary again. Before long, a new…
For most of my life, “tired” was the only word I had, and it was never enough. I’d say it to doctors the way you’d mention the weather — a fact so ordinary it wasn’t worth writing down. And mostly, it wasn’t. Tired was normal. Heavy periods were normal. Being…
My sons, Julian and Caeleb, were both diagnosed with hemophilia as babies. Although they’re 10 years apart, each diagnosis was overwhelming and affected my wife, Cazandra, and me differently. I remember feeling helpless, not knowing anyone who had the slightest idea how to manage a bleeding disorder. For the…
I grew up in a mostly white suburb of Houston. My dad, who was of Mexican descent and had dark skin, spoke English as his second language. He worked hard, went to school, and earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from the University of Texas. He became…
I don’t usually ask myself whether I want something. I ask whether I can justify wanting it. Is it practical? Financially responsible? Useful enough? Meaningful enough? Will I regret spending the money? Could I explain the decision to someone else without sounding irresponsible? I suspect many care partners know this…
When I was in high school, I wasn’t just excused from gym class; I was prohibited from participating in every sport except swimming. While my classmates learned volleyball, basketball, and track, I sat on the sidelines because my bleeding disorders made physical activity too risky. At the time, I accepted…
Note: This column was updated July 2, 2026, to correct the year of the author’s hospitalization for iliopsoas bleeding to this year. Having severe hemophilia A means everything can be life-threatening. In February, I had a tooth extraction that required sedation after a year of preparation. It took that…
I woke up on Saturday morning and struggled to stand upright. My back had given out, and I could hardly take a step forward. Sunday morning was no better, but I had to prepare for worship, so I was determined to get dressed, get to church, and fulfill my duties…
