Dear Family, I don’t know whether to feel amused or horrified by the fact that my simply typing the letters m and o in succession into Google Chrome is enough for the browser to (correctly) guess that I’m trying to get to “montgomerycountymd.gov/safespeedpay,” the website where I pay citations issued by our county’s robot army…
Author: Timothy Willis
On fronts for the mob, overly concerned citizens, scrotal swelling, and crazy feats of endurance (vol. xxviii, no. 4)
Dear Family, I like almost everything about our neighborhood, but I’m grateful not to live under the tyranny of a homeowners association. We have an active neighborhood civic association, which I admire, even though I seldom attend the meetings. I believe I currently belong to the association, though I’m never certain. My membership frequently lapses…
On dining with random animals, complaining about the weather, and dodging the cops in Nicaragua (vol. xxviii, no. 3)
Dear Family, I’m appreciative of you who have inquired and expressed concern about Crystal’s ailing back. (I’m also appreciative of you who haven’t. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and would like to, feel free to read last month’s letter.) Physical therapy and pain meds are helping, but she’s still in frequent pain…
On uneventfulness, “ridiculopathy,” and a jaunt to Cancun (not by me) (vol. xxviii, no. 2)
Dear Family, Sophie alleges in her most recent letter that our family is “not all that interesting.” She writes: “We do the [Sunday] crossword together every week, we send our daily Wordle attempts (and little else) into the family group chat, and we occasionally like to muse on the exciting potential of last names better…
On the agony of being an Eagles fan, the ecstasy of snow days, and the meaning of Hanukkah (vol. xxviii, no. 1)
Dear Family, I suppose I’m not in a position to claim that Peter Cannon Willis’s missionary farewell address was the finest one ever given. But it was quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard. And I’ve listened to some pretty great ones, including two by daughters of mine that were considerably better than most. (Admittedly,…
On multiple run-ins with the fire department, an unconventionally magical Christmas, and the underrated virtue of “making a joyful noise unto the Lord” (vol. xxvii, no. 12)
Dear Family, The morning of December 5th began the way most Tuesdays do. Crystal’s alarm went off at 5:00 and she immediately sprung out of bed while I lay there for a few moments with my eyes closed, trying to remember what day it was. We usually arise together on Tuesdays. Crystal dons cycling gear,…
On reindeer apostles, nonstop piano recitals and general, all-around gratitude (vol. xxvii, no. 11)
Dear Family, Full disclosure: I am beginning this letter on Thanksgiving morning. I will not finish it until sometime next week (prior to my self-imposed month-end deadline). The delay will owe in part to some choir-related stuff in the coming week that I will probably want to record for posterity. But I am beginning now…
On back-to-back marathons, unconventional birthday celebrations, and the questionable utility of breasts (vol. xxvii, no. 10)
Dear Family, Now that all my children are grown and two of them are writing their own monthly missives, it at times occurs to me to wonder what I’m supposed to keep writing about every month. But then I remember that, while many of these letters make at least passing reference to my children’s (and…
On forbidden cupcakes, overstimulated amygdalae, and the underappreciated art of registering one’s dissatisfaction without making a scene (vol. xxvii, no. 9)
Dear Family, Attendees of Carrie’s wedding in Portland earlier this month may have heard something about a boorish (and possibly inebriated) guest who, only seconds after being told for the tenth time in two hours that the dessert table was still off limits, angrily thrust his right paw into the center of a large plate…
On beautiful vistas, happy reunions, and finding solace around the holes our departing children leave (vol. xxvii, no. 8)
Dear Family, A week or two ago, a fellow member of our neighborhood’s informal cycling club was depositing his only child – a girl of extraordinary academic and athletic achievement whom Grace has known since elementary school – at a certain prestigious university in Pennsylvania. He shared with our group of mostly middle-aged dads (and…