I’ve never seen Young At Heart, the 1954 movie Frank Sinatra starred in with Doris Day, but I’ve always liked the popular song he sang by the same name. And, of course, I’ve always loved Ol’ Blue Eyes (who doesn’t?!). The song came out the previous year and was a huge hit, climbing to No. … More Inspired by a music legend and the mother I never met, putting my vocal spin on an old standard

Meet my amazing friend Clyde Jones — C. Clyde, aka Clifton Clyde. Today (Wednesday, December 21) is his ***100th*** birthday. 🎊🎉🎂 You read that right. This young man, who’s a friend to literally everyone, has been on Facebook for years. He has more FB friends — 3,390 — than most. I see photos of Clyde … More Happy 100th to an outstanding man and a fantastic friend I’ve never met, but with whom I share a West Virginia bond

Betty could sing. I mean really sing. From what I’ve dug up since learning 17 years ago that she was the mother who relinquished me for adoption, singing seems to have come as naturally to Betty as hitting home runs did for Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron.   From her school records in Huntington, West Virginia, … More I never met Betty before she died 30 years ago, but what a blessing that she left her beautiful music for us

Seventeen years ago, I was blessed to gain a big sister — and two big brothers, but that’s nothing like suddenly having a sister, amiright? They, and their families, are all part of this remarkable birth family journey that’s changed my life in wonderful ways I could never have dreamed of. Yes, I’ve learned about … More Happy birthday to Teresa Ann, the wonderful Big Sister who blessed my life when she arrived in it 17 years ago

When my freshman year at Conroe High began in August 1974, I’d turned 13 just six months earlier — really young for a kid starting high school, especially one as nerdy, naive and introverted as I was. Thanks to my adoptive parents and Mr. Schaefer, the principal at St. Matthew Lutheran School in Houston — … More Thanks to the wonders of Zoom, seeing and catching up with a wonderful friend I’ve known for 48 years

When my longtime friend Randy Lightfoot called me early on the morning of Nov. 1 and left the briefest of messages, he didn’t sound right. “Hi, Frank,” his message began before a long pause. “This is Randy Lightfoot. I was just touchin’ base, seein’ how you were.” That was it. Though we’d stayed in touch … More My friend Randy flew over hurdles with record-setting grace and wrote sports stories with the best of ’em. And then he courageously tried to outrace his toughest foe.

Since birth, I’ve been part of a community that numbers millions upon millions — people who’ve either been adopted (me), lost their own biological children to adoption, or brought children into their families through adoption. It’s called the triad, and it’s made up of people of all ages, genders, races and ethnicities, nationalities and socioeconomic … More A Saturday spent with an extra-special group of folks: For a potluck, with some adoption reunion support on the side

Monday was a pretty cool day — and I don’t mean the weather. It was a long one that started when I woke at 6:20 a.m., drove an hour and a half to take our youngest to school (the same commute from SW Arlington to Richardson that Kay makes most mornings), then went to work. … More This was a somewhat rainy day and a Monday, but with a little work and a lot of fun, nothing to get me down

I’m not a newspaper journalist anymore, yet I’ll always be a newspaper journalist — and support newspaper journalists. That’s the main reason I went to Tuesday night’s annual holiday dinner gathering of the Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Although I’m not a dues-paying member of SPJ, I’ve been to a couple of these … More Applause — and dinner — for striking Fort Worth newspaper journalists, standing up for what’s right

Kay and I shivered a little but cheered a lot for the No. 4 TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday with our friends John and Lisa Reed, who like Kay are TCU grads (I’ve known John since elementary school in Houston, but we’d had no contact since sixth grade until I found him three years ago). … More Another game, another TCU win: Make that 12 and OH! — with all the marbles left to play for