Family

- - - | written by Jason on 5/24/2020 | - - -

Make Way for Greatness: What Our Kids Really Need

The ganache wasn’t very ganachey. A rose kept falling off. And it was a little lopsided. But that didn’t make the cake my kids made for my anniversary any less a work of art, or a gift of love.It started as their desire to do something nice for our twentieth wedding anniversary. Since we’ve been binge-watching Kids Baking Championship, we gave them a challenge. They had to design and bake a cake that represented both Mom and Dad (a worthy challenge considering Kim and I fall on opposite ends of the dessert spectrum). It also needed to be at least two layers and be made from scratch. We …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/26/2020 | - - -

Why I Hope Things Don’t Get Back to Normal

It seems we are all yearning for a return to normal. I know what people mean when they say it – I say it myself, and what we have, right now, is not normal. But in truth, I really don’t want to return to normal.As we inch slowly closer to a resolution of this crisis, it might be worth asking a question that was posed when the shelter-in-place guidelines began: What is essential? We’ve been given a gift. This pause has been an unprecedented (anyone up for making that the official word of 2020?) opportunity to examine our lives and our society with a new perspective.For example, are all of …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/24/2019 | - - -

Time For S’Mores

"Time for S'mores." Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints available here. The background of this painting comes from a photograph I took during a family trip to the Pacific Northwest. It captured a holy moment. You see, in our family, when the sun has taken its final bow for the day, and the moon is set to take the stage, it’s time for s’mores. I suppose you could have s’mores during afternoon tea, and of course there’s no rule against having them for breakfast, but it just doesn’t seem right. You may disagree with me on the proper time for s’mores, one thing is certain: …

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- - - | written by Jason on 8/25/2019 | - - -

The Life-Changing Wisdom a Cheetah Knows That You Don’t

“Speed Racer” by Jason Kotecki. 30″ x 40″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. The cheetah is known for being fast.Really fast.It's the fastest land mammal, achieving running speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. But what most people don't know is that the cheetah can’t maintain those speeds for long. In fact, a cheetah spends very little of its time running. It needs to recuperate and build up energy for the next hunt.Obviously, if a cheetah doesn’t run, it cannot eat. But if the cheetah doesn’t rest, it cannot run. If the cheetah spent all its time doing what it does …

- - - | written by Jason on 7/28/2019 | - - -

Messes Make the Best Memories

"The Peach." 12"x12" oil on canvas. Buy this print. Eating a peach, in season, perfectly ripe, is pure magic. But also messy. Oh, sure, you can eat peaches before they’re ripe and they might drip less, but they’re not nearly as good. The best peaches are always messy. Now I’ll admit it: I prefer tidy. I like the structure of a good plan. I feel good when the dishes are done and the counter is cleared. I’m easily disturbed when piles stay piles for too long. Is that an Adultitis-fueled trait? Perhaps. But I do find that I am more present, relaxed, and creative when clutter and …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/24/2019 | - - -

Family First. Really?

My dad used to work at a lumberyard. He would bring estimating projects home and work on them at night at the dining room table. The overtime pay he earned helped my parents pay ahead on their mortgage. I’m sure there were about a million other things he would have rather been doing, but he spent many evenings at that dining room table, after long days at work, earning a little bit extra. Family first. I will never forget the little watch he kept close at hand, logging his hours. If one of his sons wandered into the dining room, hoping to chat, he’d stop what he was doing, turn off the …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/16/2018 | - - -

Thoughts On Missing Loved Ones During the Holidays

In my book Penguins Can’t Fly, I wrote about the story of a young man I knew who had leukemia, and how his family and friends moved up Christmas a few months so he’d be able to celebrate his favorite holiday one more time. Well, unbeknownst to me, one of my speaking colleagues was good friends with Kevin’s mom. One day, shortly after the book came out, my colleague read her the passage in my book. Through the tears, Kevin’s mother expressed her great joy in finally have something new to share about her son. “My friends are always telling me new things about their kids," she said. "How …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/9/2018 | - - -

14 Fantastic Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas

One of the best parts of Christmas is opening up an unexpectedly awesome gift from a thoughtful giver. Even better is watching someone else open up the perfect gift you found for them. Unfortunately, the gift-giving part of the holidays often contributes a big part of the stress most people feel during the season. It’s not easy trying to find something nice for everyone on the list while fighting the bustling, crazy crowds and keeping the budget from ballooning like Santa on a post-Christmas cookie eating binge. A lot of families and work colleague save money by doing gift exchanges …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/25/2018 | - - -

How to Keep Adultitis from Ruining Your Holidays

"Santa Penguin" by Jason Kotecki. 12 x 12. Acrylic on canvas. Original is SOLD. Greeting cards available here. Well, we're here. Even though Christmas music has been playing in stores since Halloween, the passing of Thanksgiving officially puts us into the holiday season, ready or not. (How is it that companies can promote week-long Black "Friday" deals with a straight face?) I have a secret to share with you. Every bit of advice I give, or moral behind a story I tell, is mostly for me. They help keep me accountable and on track in my own fight against Adultitis. And as a professional …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/4/2018 | - - -

A Tale of Two Trees: Thoughts on Life, Death and Regret

I was in a small country cemetery recently, thinking about autumn and life and the end of another baseball season, when I saw these trees. All of them marching toward the sleep of winter, the one on the right still filled with leaves, another with only a few left to give. I wondered, “Which one am I?” As of this writing, I am forty-two years old. No spring sapling, that’s for sure. I’m old enough and experienced enough to know that I could be either tree. I think about death a lot, mostly because it helps me think about my life, and how well I’m spending it. Anniversaries are piling …