I share the story of the last photograph our family of five ever took together. What felt like a moment of survival and reunion—a rare weekend of laughter, hope, and grace—would later become a reminder of how fragile and fleeting life really is.

Looking back, that picture wasn’t about victory over storms, but about grace in the middle of them. It’s a reminder that every dinner, every laugh, every moment with the people we love is a gift we can’t take for granted.

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I sit down with my daughter, Mary Halley, a mom of four children six-and-under, to talk about the daily hard parts and simple gifts of family life. From bedtime battles and school drop-offs to sweating through chores and learning to let go of perfection, she shares what it’s really like to juggle and celebrate motherhood in the thick of it.

We also look back on the harder seasons—hospital nights, anxiety, and old wounds that still resurface—and how counseling, perspective, and faith helped Mary Halley grow into a calmer, more present mom. This is a conversation about chaos, healing, and the small moments of joy that make it all worth it.

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When I was a child, Sundays meant dragging my feet to church, fumbling with my shirt buttons, and mostly daydreaming about what was for lunch. I didn’t understand faith, and honestly, I thought the whole thing seemed a little crazy. Still, the hymns, the pews, even the orange juice and saltines—somehow they stayed with me.

Years later, when I struggled with loss and addiction, those same sounds I once ignored came back as a lifeline. In this episode, I share how faith has a way of finding us, even when we try to push it away—and how what we don’t understand as children sometimes ends up being the very thing that saves us.

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We all fall for it—the idea that if we can just reach the next milestone, land the job, buy the house, raise the kids, then we’ll finally feel happy. But the truth is, “arrival” never comes. In this episode, Kent and I talk about how it’s easy for couples to get caught up in that myth, what it did to our family, and what we’ve learned now about finding joy in the present instead of chasing the next thing to fix it.

We also get honest about the pressures men feel in their twenties and thirties, the exhaustion of achievement culture, and the disorder that can knock us off our feet. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to stay stuck. Joy comes from something deeper—and sometimes, from realizing you may already have what you were chasing all along.

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Grace rarely comes gift-wrapped. Sometimes it comes as a jolt — a voice, a vision, a man at the bar whose scarred face forces you to see your own future.

Today, I take you back to the night that set my recovery in motion.

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David and his pastor, Rev. Chris McAlilly, open up about the pressure men feel to “carry it all,” and how ego and stigma can keep us from faith. David shares his own story of doubt, family, and the impact fathers have when they choose honesty and vulnerability.

Together, they explore grief, trauma, and the power of community. From answering the hard questions our children ask to finding recovery in the church, this episode reminds us we’re not alone—and that gratitude and forgiveness are often the first steps toward healing.

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What does it mean to keep talking with someone dear you’ve lost — to feel their story still shaping yours?

For me, it means listening to and writing with William, my son. His absence changed everything, but his presence still guides my words -- and shapes my life.

In this essay, I share how loss, memory, and love intertwine — and how conversation, even with those who are gone, can become a form of healing.

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Sometimes the help we need most comes from the most unexpected places—a stranger, a friend, even a pet. For our family, it was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lady.

After we lost William, there were few reasons to get out of bed in the morning. One of them was Lady, who insisted on her daily walks. Step by step, those early mornings became small but steady moments of healing as she pulled us along.

In this episode, my wife, Kent, joins me to share the story of how one dog helped keep us moving forward.

It’s a story for anyone who has ever loved a dog, or who knows the weight of grief and the surprising places healing can be found.

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A grandfather and grandson connect through vulnerability—reminding us of the joy and strength found in generational bonds. And how to achieve those bonds.

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What do you do when everything you’ve worked for unravels on the very day your world collapses?

In this episode, David’s wife, Kent Magee, shares the heartbreaking story of losing her son, William, just as she was discovering one of her true callings: teaching yoga. Her story is raw, unflinching, and deeply relatable for anyone walking through grief.

Kent explains how, in the middle of unimaginable loss, her yoga community lifted her up. She didn’t walk away—she kept teaching, creating a safe space for others to heal even as she tried to heal herself.

This conversation is about finding strength in community, using yoga as a path through grief, and discovering hope when life feels shattered. It shows how we can keep moving—even from our worst day.

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