The summer of 2026 was light on newsletters, but rich in family moments.

Intentionally so.

Back in January, it hit my wife that our oldest would be out of the house in just a few years. "Whatever moments we want to create as a family," she said, "we better get on it."

I couldn't have agreed more.

So that's what we did. We explored Boston, played in the Atlantic, and caught games at Fenway and Wrigley.

But the top of my list? An Alex Warren concert with my oldest daughter, Macy. 

If you're like me, you may not know much (if anything) about Alex Warren. So before the concert, I did my homework.

What I learned stopped me in my tracks.

Alex lost his dad to kidney cancer when he was 9. His mom, who struggled with alcoholism, kicked him out as a teenager, and he spent a stretch sleeping in a car. She died when he was 21.

Music became how he processed it all. He's honest about the pain, but there's an unmistakable grace in how he talks about it, especially toward his mom.

That grace shines brightest in a song called "First Time On Earth." Here's the chorus:

It's your first time on Earth too

And I hope that you know that I don't blame you

It's just pain that you were passing down

I'm older, and I see it now

It's your first time on Earth too

I'd probably heard that song in the car with Macy before. But I'd never stopped to consider what it meant in light of Alex’s story. When I did, it brought me to tears.

As a parent, I feel like I'm constantly screwing things up. And I worry about what that's costing my kids. But the thought that someday they might say, honestly and with compassion, "You know, it was my dad's first time on earth, too.” Boy, that comforts me deep in my bones.

So this first newsletter back is for anyone who needs the reminder that it's their first time on earth, too.

Maybe that's you. If so, give yourself some grace.

Maybe it’s someone you care about. If so, pass this along.

Either way, carry on fellow travelers, we’ll talk soon.