The 6-8 pm gauntlet begins with dinner in our house. I hope these times around the table are filled with connection and rich conversation. I picture my youngest asking his sisters where Christ’s resurrection intersected their day. I envision my daughters asking my wife how they can embody Godly femininity. I realize these expectations might be somewhat misguided when my 7, 5, and 3 year old kids instead debate whether they’d rather smell a fart or be congested.

I knew it wasn't good when the phone rang at 2 a.m.

I don’t think of myself as a needy guy. I definitely need certain things like food and water.  I also have what I think about as secondary needs like my morning espresso and journaling time, exercise and possibly vegetables, but where does friendship fall?