Tales from the Dad Side
Richard J. Stephens lives in Carter County and is the father of three little ladies ranging in age from nine to 29. His experiences being a single parent, co-parent, and leader, provide a unique perspective to a wide array of issues families face in our modern times. Fulfilling roles as a youth director, elected mayor, educator, county sheriff and business owner adds to his experiences and bolsters his light-hearted approach to life. Tales from the Dad Side is a journey depicted through one man’s experiences penned through written stories and tales which modern families can relate to as they traverse this life.
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Old friendships foster new relationships
Posted Friday, February 23, 2024, at 4:27 PMAs the skyline from Dallas came into sight a silence overtook the car. The 10-hour trip to visit friends had been uneventful yet exhausting for the girls. Seeing the sprawling urban jungle brought out a sense of relief to me. The sight of buildings signaled the near-end of my driving responsibilities, with rest on the horizon. Before long the silence was broken with Lilli asking, “Holy cow, do you see how tall those buildings are?”... -
When you fall, get up
Posted Friday, February 9, 2024, at 4:18 PMAs the girls prepare for their involvement in sports, I have enjoyed tagging along as they train. Last week I followed behind Lilli as she did her best to maintain her running cross country and bolster her endurance. As the child works hard to mix her training up, I have found myself being the normal, overprotective parent. ... -
The power of words in young ears
Posted Friday, February 2, 2024, at 4:45 PMThe moment the snow and ice cleared my family jumped into our vehicle and headed off the hill. Being cooped up for two days wasn’t uncommon but this time it seemed to wear on the girls a little more than normal. Seemingly, with each hour passing, it appeared that time had come to a stop, leaving the girls longing for anything to do as long as it was outside the confines of our home. ... -
Longing for acceptance
Posted Friday, January 26, 2024, at 2:38 PMSitting in the living room, my wife and I could hear the faint sound of one of the cats meowing. As our eyes met, the cat’s tone was as if she was calling out for someone to simply notice her. With smiles affixed to our faces, both my wife and I knew what was soon to come... -
Sometimes recipes lie
Posted Friday, January 12, 2024, at 3:08 PMThe sound of my telephone’s alert tone startled me, shifting me from the relaxed cloud I was sitting in. As I reached for my phone, I noticed that my daughter had texted. The text was a bit confusing. Before me was a list of rather unconventional items, arranged in a recipe style manner. ... -
Hard lessons are lessons learned
Posted Friday, December 22, 2023, at 12:00 AMMistakes happen. We fall short on occasion and fail to meet expectations. It appears throughout life these two facts ring supreme for all of us. It’s unavoidable. No matter how hard we try, how straight of a path we walk, or how determined we are we often stumble, sometimes over the silliest things, left with only the consequences of our actions. The girls learned this the hard way recently... -
Shielding ourselves and each other
Posted Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs I sat on the couch, the other day, I began scrolling through social media feeds. Keeping up on the newest current events, local happenings, and family affairs has become one of my guilty pleasures as of late. On this particular day, I embarked upon my normal routine, stopping briefly at some sites and passing by others. Simply put, I was wasting time. After a short time, Riyann, my youngest daughter, sat alongside me, sneaking a peak at the device firmly affixed to my hand... -
Blazing your own path through life
Posted Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 12:00 AMHer nerves were running in overdrive as she stood at the starting line. The thought of competing in front of others caused an ache in the deep confines of her stomach. The ache, ever so present, was overshadowed by Riyann’s desire to win a medal like her sister so often does. ... -
Keeping Thanksgiving in perspective
Posted Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 12:00 AMKeeping Thanksgiving in perspective As we prepared to sit and enjoy this year’s Thanksgiving dinner everything seemed to be perfect. Each dish turned out great and fortunately, this year, most of the family was able to travel and descend upon our home for some fellowship and feasting. ... -
Keep running from the chickens, friends
Posted Saturday, November 25, 2023, at 12:00 AMRunning from the chickens With the passage of time, every parent reaches that point in life where the children are growing up and the reigns must be loosened a bit. In our family, Lilli has become the child who values friendship and thrives on a sense of popularity. ... -
Sometimes we need a moment alone
Posted Friday, November 17, 2023, at 5:00 PMAs I woke up this past Saturday, an excitement was brewing deep inside me. The excitement wasn’t because our family was planning on attending a special event or going on a grand adventure but rather, because we had our day all planned out. This year for my birthday my wife and I decided we would spend the day working on our property in hopes of getting one step closer to it being ready for us. ... -
A character change: the inner ‘momma bear’ comes out
Posted Saturday, November 11, 2023, at 12:00 AMA shift in character Last year, with the rising cost of groceries and I and Leona (my wife) on a constant search for things which will broaden the girls’ worldviews, we purchased six chickens. The entire process of locating and transporting the perfect animals while simultaneously ensuring that they would have a safe place to nest was a fun adventure for our family. ... -
Fun is whatever you make it
Posted Saturday, November 4, 2023, at 12:00 AMThe day was perfect. The comfortable temperatures and slight breeze made conditions perfect to roll the windows down on the car and simply enjoy the scenery. As my two daughters and I made the turn on College Street in Van Buren I couldn’t help but smile. The sight of students being released from a day filled with learning at the local school, coupled with my having a captive audience inside the car in the form of my beloved daughters, brought back joyous memories of days gone by... -
A little persistence means everything
Posted Saturday, October 28, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs the morning service at the small church concluded it was a tale of two congregations. Half the parishioners stood around talking with others, seemingly not wanting their worship experience to end. The other half were unable to get to the local restaurant fast enough, in an apparent race with neighboring church members for Sunday lunch supremacy, and bragging rights. I watched, honestly, somewhere in between the two, as I made my way through the pastorial greeting line... -
The reality of unexpected kindness
Posted Saturday, October 21, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs the rain poured down, I prepared for what was surely going to be a difficult cross-country race for the girls. As the start drew near, I did my best to do what most parents do, take on the role of alternate coach. Describing how to clear their shoes of mud, avoid puddles, and steadily place each step seemed to come with a moderate amount of the girls simply appeasing good old dad through head nods, while internally hoping he would simply shush so they could get in the competitive mindset. ... -
Just be you and spread your joy
Posted Saturday, October 14, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs I listened to a good friend speak at a training event the other day, her words resounded through me. She spoke about patience and understanding as she shared “make peace, practice peace. Don’t let nothing and nobody have or steal your peace.” As she said those words my mind immediately flowed to a couple days prior when I watched little Riyann doing her best to simply be her, while changing other people through joy... -
Throwing out lifelines for everyone you can
Posted Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs another cross-country season is in full bloom here in the Ozarks, I’ve enjoyed watching along as the girls diligently try to excel. This season has brought with it some instances of joy, moments of frustration, and times of pain and sadness. ... -
Dancing through life like leaves
Posted Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 12:00 AMAs I turned the page on an old, dusty photo album an image caught my eye. The image was one, taken seemingly a lifetime ago, when my eldest daughter was merely a toddler. Within the image, the sight of my child buried inside a large pile of fall leaves brought a smile to my face. ... -
Remember to show yourself a little love
Posted Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 12:00 AMFollowing a day of teaching adult students in a community a couple hours away from home, my goal was merely to get home and see my family. As I pulled into the driveway, I noticed my wife’s car was not there. Unfortunately, I had just missed her and the girls. ... -
Pets — our wild auxiliary children
Posted Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 12:00 AMGet a pet, they said… It will be fun, they said. I guess the fun rests firmly on the beholder. As the days go by with our family the past couple years have been a rollercoaster of emotion where our pets are concerned. Being a pet-loving man, blessed with an equally pet-loving wife, our home has always been filled with an abundance of furry little friends. ...
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