The Braley Blog

“Pete’s Daily Connection”

  • A Father’s Day Thought: Letting Go!

    A Father’s Day Thought: Letting Go!

    Happy Father’s Day to all dads and those that have acted like dads whether they be an uncle, coach or mentor.  My children are all grown and on their own now but, in some ways, you never stop being a dad. I still worry about them at times and those old “dad instincts” kicked in…

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  • The Struggle Of Finding A New Doctor

    The Struggle Of Finding A New Doctor

    I have an appointment coming up in two weeks to see my doctor and I am not looking forward to it. Not that there’s anything wrong with me (that I know of), it’s just that I have a new Primary Care Physician (PCP) and I just really miss my old doctor. I wrote a column…

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  • When Winter Becomes Just A Memory

    When Winter Becomes Just A Memory

    It happens every year but yet I am still impressed when it does. Every year there seems to be one week, or even a day, when somehow we flip a switch and the warm weather is here. And I usually don’t notice it until a few days after it happens. I’ve told you before how…

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  • What I Would Say To The Class of 2024

    What I Would Say To The Class of 2024

    It’s graduation time in New England and since I haven’t done this in awhile I thought I would share my thoughts on what I would say if I was speaking to the graduating class of 2024. I did this a few years ago when I was writing a column for the New Bedford Standard Times.…

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  • When Did It Become Acceptable To Be So Rude?

    When Did It Become Acceptable To Be So Rude?

    It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it. People are rude. And they seem proud of it! When did this become a thing? There were a few different situations this week that caught my eye or occupied space in my brain so I thought I would explore this topic. Some family members have either had issues at…

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  • Mother’s Day Reminder: Reach Out While You Can

    Mother’s Day Reminder: Reach Out While You Can

    Full disclosure: This is a Mother’s Day piece I wrote two years ago. It came to mind this week when I read a Facebook post from a cousin. Her mom, my aunt, died earlier this year and this is the first Mother’s Day she has experienced without her. My mom has been gone now for…

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  • The Dangerous Weapon We All Carry

    The Dangerous Weapon We All Carry

    When you think of the word “weapon,” what comes to mind? A handgun? An AR-15? A knife? A bazooka? (Do they still make those?) What if I told you that we all have a dangerous weapon and we have the potential to use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! I read, A LOT, and one of the…

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  • Saluting All Military Children

    Saluting All Military Children

    Recently I learned that April is the Month of the Military Child and I wanted to write about this before the month ended. The Defense Department reports there are more than 1.6 million military children who face challenges because of their parents’ service. I never really thought about this before but it’s come to light…

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  • All My Life’s A Circle – Sunday Column

    All My Life’s A Circle – Sunday Column

    I was reminded yesterday of a song by the late Harry Chapin. It came out in 1979 and it’s called “Circle.” In the song, Harry sings: “All my life’s a circle; Sunrise and sundown; Moon rolls thru the nighttime; Till the daybreak comes around. All my life’s a circle; And I can’t tell you why;…

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  • My Annual Reminder To Always Have Hope

    My Annual Reminder To Always Have Hope

    I think I post a picture of this tree on my socials every year. This is a Weeping Cherry Tree we have in our backyard. It was a gift from a Confirmation class my wife and taught oh…. probably twenty years ago now. Oh and yes, there are lights in the tree. My wife found…

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