Despite all the healing work I’ve done on myself, a sense of inferiority clings to me and sometimes gets in the way. It is part of the legacy of toxic shame I have not completely shed, not to mention all the cultural messages we get about what it means to be successful. You see, I […]
Love
Following Mary Oliver’s Instructions for Living a Life
“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ~Mary Oliver Living a Life Valentine’s Day 2019: My heart aches as I listen to my favorite podcast, On Being. I am affected more than I realize by Krista Tippett’s conversation with Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist and founder/director of The Center for Healthy Minds at the University of […]
There are no words …
On October 9, 2004, I had the honor of officiating at Jak and Diane’s wedding. Nontraditional in almost every way, I absolutely loved this ceremony. It tops my list of favorite wedding experiences. Jak, a former co-worker who became a good friend, married his soulmate. Their wedding, held at their home in Clifton along the […]
Giving Thanks
On May 23, 2009, a year after the death of my son, six months after the death of my mother, and five months after the death of my father, on the eve of the closing on my parent’s condo, I was diagnosed with lymphoma. Following eight rounds of chemo and seventeen radiation treatments, on December […]
Grief: The Gift, The Challenge, The Process
THE GIFT In the last few years, several of my friends and I experienced significant losses. The anguish involved in loss is rarely welcomed, and often seen as the price one pays for having loved greatly. I, however, tend to look upon grief as a gift. Think of the alternative. Without great love, there would […]
Refreshing
“Vulnerability is at the core, the center, of meaningful experiences.” ~Brene Brown People fascinate me. I love to learn what makes them tick. That is probably why a ministry as a family and relationship therapist called to me. It also accounts for my love of reading memoirs, watching biographical movies, and listening to in-depth interviews, […]
