Matt Hofferth

My last surviving grandparent, Lola, passed away last week. I wrestled for a while with writing this post. My last entry to this journal was just after my 39th birthday. I'm now closer to 41 than 40. Writing has not come easily to me during my small children era. And yet, the encouragement of my middle school English teacher sits there in the back of my mind....

For Grandma My last surviving grandparent, Lola, passed away last week. I wrestled for a while with writing this post. My last entry to this journal was just after my 39th birthday. I’m now closer to 41 …

Look, chasing three kids is hard, Dear Journal. I meant to write something acknowledging my birthday and all the well-wishes that I received, but... time kept passing. I don't feel 39, and yet I really do feel 39. I can vaguely remember some time ago when my dad turned 40. I recall the black balloons and the "over-the-hill" jests. I remember feeling like 40 is really, really old....

39 And Almost A Month Look, chasing three kids is hard, Dear Journal. I meant to write something acknowledging my birthday and all the well-wishes that I received, but… time kept passing. I don’t feel 39, an…

So, I've been struggling with digestive issues for a little over a year now. As the calendar flipped into 2023, my mostly mild symptoms started to escalate, which obviously worried me. Ever since losing my father nearly 20 years ago, my family has had a touch of medical anxiety. That is to say, small things like, say, gas pains, immediately take our minds down a serious path....

On Pancreatic Cancer Research So, I’ve been struggling with digestive issues for a little over a year now. As the calendar flipped into 2023, my mostly mild symptoms started to escalate, which obviously worried me. Ever s…

Let me lead by saying that I have never felt a more consistent trend of exhaustion in my life. The challenge of caring for each kid is not additive; the challenge increases exponentially. Moving from two to three has put me to a point where I'm ready to schedule a doctor appointment in order to be officially done with the kid portion of my journey....

There is Light Let me lead by saying that I have never felt a more consistent trend of exhaustion in my life. The challenge of caring for each kid is not additive; the challenge increases exponentially. Moving fr…

So I was having a little fun on LinkedIn today... thought I'd cross post here, Dear Journal. I posted the appropriate, professional-style recruitment post yesterday. Today, I wanted to do something a little more fun and personal to me. Here's how my mind works: A warm wind whips the backside of my legs, driving the dust into whirling devils on the ground....

I Got *Too* Into My Job Posting So I was having a little fun on LinkedIn today… thought I’d cross post here, Dear Journal. I posted the appropriate, professional-style recruitment post yesterday. Today, I wanted to do…

It's been a busy first half of the year for me, Dear Journal, culminating in the arrival of Bennett on June 21st. To say we sort of skidded into the finish line on this one is perhaps a bit of an understatement. It seems that with each additional child, things are just a bit more difficult. I wouldn't say it increases exponentially, or even linearly, as lessons learned from kids 1 and 2 can definitely help smooth out 3....

Six Months Later It’s been a busy first half of the year for me, Dear Journal, culminating in the arrival of Bennett on June 21st. To say we sort of skidded into the finish line on this one is perhaps a bit o…

First of all, thank you to everyone who reached out with a kind word. The good, old social media birthday waterfall is, in my opinion, one of the more positive aspects of this digital age. I'm personally very bad about reaching out with birthday wishes, especially since tools like Facebook make it so easy. So I appreciate it doubly-so, because I probably failed to reach out to you....

37 First of all, thank you to everyone who reached out with a kind word. The good, old social media birthday waterfall is, in my opinion, one of the more positive aspects of this digital age. I’…

It's been scary long since I've written to you, Dear Journal. It's so bad that I even failed to mark Blair's first birthday. It seems that, at least in my family, the "not the first child" syndrome is hitting us hard. Don't get me wrong, we completely love Blair and are still in-person very excited by all of her milestones. We just often fail at capturing/documenting them....

Happy Halloween It’s been scary long since I’ve written to you, Dear Journal. It’s so bad that I even failed to mark Blair’s first birthday. It seems that, at least in my family, the & #8220…

Today is the day. I have had a good, long adventure with my Favorite Person, and it is time. She will miss me, but we traveled together to where we were supposed to travel to, and it is time. This is the Destination. Standing from my bed is a challenge. When did I get so heavy? Is it because of all the treats?...

Last Friday, For Chance Today is the day. I have had a good, long adventure with my Favorite Person, and it is time. She will miss me, but we traveled together to where we were supposed to travel to, and it is time. This …

First of all, thank you to everyone who shared birthday wishes to me via all the various ways we share them these days. I'm not great at acknowledging birthdays of others, so I definitely appreciate it when people go out of their way to acknowledge mine. I tend to be pretty laid back about birthdays, though my wife is completely the opposite and takes it as a personal crusade to make sure everyone has a card, cake, and ice cream on their birthday....

Birthday Gratitude First of all, thank you to everyone who shared birthday wishes to me via all the various ways we share them these days. I’m not great at acknowledging birthdays of others, so I definitely app…

What a difference experience makes. The second time around, our birthing story was much less dramatic than the first. It helped that we were expecting Blair to come a couple weeks early, so when she held on to 39 weeks, we were quite ready. We had our bags packed, and everything planned. Of course, there were things outside of our control. [ 659 more words ]

Hello, Word – Blair, Probably What a difference experience makes. The second time around, our birthing story was much less dramatic than the first. It helped that we were expecting Blair to come a couple weeks early, so when sh…

I lifted the bourbon and ginger ale to my lips and wondered, How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was laying down last night, and then suddenly, here I am in a bar. At least the drinks are good, I thought as I sipped. From my vantage point in a corner booth, I could see the whole venue. [ 630 more words ]

If I Saw You In Heaven I lifted the bourbon and ginger ale to my lips and wondered, How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was laying down last night, and then suddenly, here I am in a bar. At least the drinks a…