Grandpa Channel: What Life Taught The Hard Way

Some people leave behind stories.

Others leave behind ways of doing things that continue shaping a home long after they’re gone.

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In this episode of The Grandpa Channel, we’re sharing the voice of Daryl Hoole—author of The Art of Homemaking and someone known for the way she ran a home with intention, order, and consistency.

But this isn’t a lesson on organization.

It’s a glimpse into how she thought.

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Through a series of simple, ...

Some lives don’t unfold the way they were supposed to.

Not because something went wrong but because something happened that changed everything.

In this conversation, Bob Farewell reflects on the moments that shaped him over time from early patterns he didn’t question to the consequences that forced him to to a life that now looks nothing like what he once imagined.

This is a story about addiction and recovery about selfishness and ...

Most people carry a quiet belief:

If I work hard enough, plan carefully enough, and make the right decisions… life will go the way I expect it to.

But life has a way of interrupting that.

In this conversation, Jeff Taylor reflects on what it looked like to:

• Reach a long-held goal - and still feel unsettled
• Lose his career during the 2008 recession
• Rebuild without a clear roadmap
• Discover that what felt like disruption… was act...

There are moments that don’t look like much from the outside.

Two feet. A small shift. A single second.

And then everything changes.

Rebecca Critchfield was a full-time skydiver for over a decade, with more than 7,000 jumps. One unexpected moment in the air resulted in a spinal cord injury that completely altered her life.

In this conversation, she shares what it actually looks like to rebuild — not just physically, but emotionally...

What do you do when life doesn’t go the way you expected?

In this conversation, Bob Cupitt reflects on the “sliding door” moments that shaped his life — from choosing his own path early on, to leaving teaching, building a global career, parenting through challenge, and learning that the journey matters more than the outcome.

He talks about what it means to tell people what they need to hear, why respect matters more than being like...

What happens when you spend your early life avoiding hard things… and then life drops you into the deep end?

In this Confessions from Rivers episode, Steve shares a story from his early days as a young missionary in Finland—cold, homesick, and completely out of his depth. Hoping to survive the brutal winter (and maybe look a little more impressive in the process), he sets out to buy a Russian fur hat.

There’s just one problem.

It d...

A mentor once looked at Bob Hansen and said something he never forgot:

“I thought you were better than that.”

Bob was 20 years old.

The moment stung. But it became one of the most important lessons of his life.

Bob went on to spend 40 years as a television consumer advocate known to many in Southern California as Consumer Bob, helping everyday people stand up to unfai...

At the world’s largest family history conference, RootsTech, we set up a small recording space and invited people to answer a simple but powerful question:

What did life teach you the hard way?

Three people stopped, sat down, and shared reflections from their lives.

Angie Shumway shares how a devastating health crisis and a memory from her military service taught her the importance of taking the next step, even when the road feels ...

In this episode of The Grandpa Channel, Rivers sits down with longtime family friend Tanya Martin — grandmother, former company president, watercolor beginner, and lifelong learner.

Tanya shares what life taught her the hard way:

• “You made the best decision you could with what you knew.”

• Don’t ever back anyone into a corner — always give them a way out.

• Forgiveness is a choice.

• Be careful what you say about others — spe...

The summer of 1972. A battered 1967 Oldsmobile station wagon. A teenage son who forgot to shift out of low gear.

In this solo episode, Steve tells the story of the night he unknowingly destroyed the family car — and the way his father responded.

No yelling. No shaming. No lifelong reminders.

Just forgiveness.

Through that moment, Steve began to understand something deeper about the nature of God — gracious, merciful, slow to anger,...

In this moving and often hilarious conversation, Steve Harris (aka Rivers) welcomes Linda Childs, the local crossing guard who’s become a legend to the children (and parents!) she serves. Linda talks about how a “retirement job” turned into a calling—sharing powerful stories of kids who greet her, trust her, and even heal through her gentle presence.

You'll hear about:

• The autistic boy who found his voice at her crosswalk

• W...

In this episode: – A trip to the ER becomes an unexpected spiritual moment – What “dropping dimes” really means—from sports to the sacred – Stories of Steve’s late father, and why he believes love lives on – How to recognize divine moments in everyday life – A reflection on faith, legacy, and the presence of God in hard times – A beautiful quote from Frederick Buechner on God's subtlety – Why Grandpa Steve believes in a God “in the...

In a culture obsessed with achievement, titles, and appearances, obituaries quietly tell a different story.

In this deeply moving and surprisingly joyful conversation, Steve Harris welcomes Mary McGreevey, the woman behind the viral project Tips From Dead People, to talk about what thousands of obituaries have taught her about life, legacy, empathy, and meaning.

Rather than focusing on famous people or polished liv...

In today’s episode, Steve Harris takes the mic solo to tell a tale that’s as tender as it is ridiculous. It starts with a beloved baseball cap and ends in a hospital parking lot with a whole lot of love (and a little bit of vomit). Along the way, he reflects on marriage, parenthood, and the wild ride of discovering you’re having triplets.

Whether you’re a Red Sox fan or just a fan of good stories, this one’s got all the ingredients...

Some family traditions are planned. Others just happen. Most don’t feel important while you’re living them.

Until years later, when you realize they became the memories everyone still talks about.

In this special episode of the Grandpa Channel, we’re sharing a collection of stories that highlight how everyday family rituals turn into lasting family memories. You’ll hear about:

• A hand-built motorhome and Saturday morning Burge...

This episode is a little different—and a little sacred.

We’re launching The Hotline—a new way to capture the grit, glory, and heart of real-life grandpa stories. Each month, we’ll drop a prompt. You record your voice. We amplify it.

To kick things off, Steve shares a recovered recording of his dad, Grandpa Lou, telling his own origin story:

• How he bribed a sergeant to get married

• Why Mormon boys made the best bartenders

• W...

In this raw and riveting episode of The Grandpa Channel, Steve Harris sits down with longtime friend and honorary "Urban Huck Finn"—Mike Deraedt. Born and raised on the hard-edged Lower East Side of Detroit, Mike shares powerful stories of survival, loss, resilience, and unexpected transformation.

From stealing hubcaps to studying calculus, bouncing at biker bars to teaching science, and surviving Vietnam to raising bright, capable...

What if the most meaningful stories at Christmastime came not from gift wrap, but from the raw honesty of children sitting on Santa’s lap?

In this powerful and unexpected episode of The Grandpa Channel, Rivers (aka Steve Harris) welcomes a real-life Santa who shares the funny, spiritual, and deeply moving stories behind the red suit. From silly sibling rivalries to tear-stained notes from kids asking for peace at home instead of pr...

What if your most meaningful Christmas gift came from a convicted felon? In this deeply personal episode of The Grandpa Channel, Steve "Rivers" Harris recounts the unraveling of his life during the 2009 holiday season: financial collapse, family stress, deep spiritual discouragement—and the surprising moment of peace that arrived through a tattooed, soulful, gospel-loving inmate named Moses.

This story is a powerful reminder that G...