June 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

June 2023

I was asked recently if there’s such a thing as ‘Dad guilt’, unequivocally that answer (at least for me) is yes. While I can only speak for myself, I can all but guarantee every Dad feels guilty at times about going to work, forgetting the schedule, or overreacting to a child’s behavior. I feel like I fail in at least one interaction on a daily basis…

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May 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

May 2023

It was one of the worst moments of my life. I watched my then 2.5 year old in a hospital gown being pushed through the double doors to the operating room. Him standing, clinging to the sides of the crib, while my wife and I watched his goofy smile change to a terrified look as he…

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April 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

April 2023

Just walk through the door. Just go. Try. Pretend. Fake it ‘til you make it. All of these internal pep talks have been present throughout my entire life. When I tell people how I used to be extremely shy, they are typically pretty surprised.

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March 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

March 2023

Our first road trip as a family of 6 was a spontaneous one. Spontaneous…a word I haven’t used to describe family life well….ever. But…we needed a change of scenery, BADLY.

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February 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

February 2023

I didn't know what it meant either until I did a quick internet search. It's a reference to when a child reaches the age that their parent was when he/she passed away. I'm not 55, which is how old my Mom was when she lost her 17 year battle with cancer, but...

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January 2023
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

January 2023

Family First… no explanation needed. So much of life is about reaffirming the values you hold near and dear to your heart. The last few months have put that to the test.

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December 2022
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

December 2022

Part II: The Old Guy

I'm not ready to give up playing soccer, no matter how badly I felt I played in my game a few weeks ago or because Dr. Google tells me my physicality is at a progressive decline.

I started to think about why I felt I played so terribly other than the obvious reasons…

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November 2022
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

November 2022

Part 1: The Underdog

I still remember the feeling I had when I went to my first competitive club soccer tryout. To say I was intimidated, scared, and wanted to turn and run the other way is an understatement. I was 12 years old and in the world of club soccer, that’s considered old to tryout for my first team. All the other kids that were already on the team had the swag, the warm up jackets, and just looked so cool. I desperately wanted to be one of them…

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October 2022
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

October 2022

Many people I meet now would never expect to hear this. I used to be painfully, painfully shy. Growing up when my family would go out to dinner, my little sister ordered for me because I was so shy I didn’t want to speak to the server. Fast forward 30+ years - that shy guy still lives inside. Now I tend to ignore his voice more than ever…

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September 2022
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

September 2022

About a year ago in the Spring of 2021, I was reflecting on memories of my Stepdad Josh. Occasionally, he and I used to watch Jeopardy together. He would just bury me by answering questions before I finished reading the clue. I was always blown away with his retention of historical dates, facts, etc. For example, he’d ask if I knew a song, then without giving me a chance to answer would say, “I Wanna Rock by Twisted Sister, 1984”.

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August 2022
Brendan Gail Brendan Gail

August 2022

These days are all about preparation for the twins. If you’re new here, yes you read that right: TWINS. Fraternal twin boys coming sometime in the fall. That means my wife and I will be doubling our kid count from two to four… and 4 under 4!

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