The year was 2017. I lay in a hospital bed, unsure of my surroundings. I could not walk, eat, remember my name, or correctly identify a lion on an aptitude test. I was informed that I’d had an alcohol withdrawal seizure so severe that my prognosis was uncertain. I had been in a medically induced …
Hidden shame is a powerful emotional and physiological reaction. It fills our being in covert ways. It can cause us to become violent or withdrawn from life and it can prompt us to bring out the better parts of ourselves in ways we never expected. It is both a curse and a blessing. Typically we …
The Phoenix · The Time is Now The eyes of the future are looking back at us, and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time. Terry Tempest Williams I write this as winter’s cold and ice extend across our country, shattering records unbroken for hundreds of years. Texas’ whole electric grid is failing, …
“Speak up and speak clearly. I want to hear what you have to say because it matters. Let’s listen to each other and respect one another’s opinions.” — Felicia Johnson 2020 could easily be defined as a year of injustice. Or, to put a more positive spin on it: The year that injustice “found a …
When I was ten years old, my mother gave birth to my youngest sister. Afterwards, she was dead for about eight minutes until the doctors brought her back to life. I was there for my sister’s birth and there afterwards, through all the pain and frantic decisions my parents made following that day. When I …
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?” — Rumi First a note to my readers. I’ve decided to not write about the coronavirus (COVID-19). There is already so much written about this topic, often for very good reasons. These are times when following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control …
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” — Parker Palmer Retreats. I usually schedule retreat dates with care, finding calendar space with little disruption to my life. I aim for a good chance of pleasant weather–Arizona in January, …
Hope is often found in the unlikeliest of places or presents itself at the unlikeliest of moments. It doesn’t usually come with a fanfare or grand entrance, shouting “I am here! All is not lost! Make way, make way…” It is more likely to make its appearance when we truly believe we have nowhere else …
It’s hard to imagine myself drinking or using again. It’s been so long since the last time I got drunk or high that it seems like an alternate life. The old me is a far away, distant memory. No more hangover headaches punishing me for the previous night. That past life of alcohol and drugs …
“If I had to live my life again, I’d make all the same mistakes—only sooner.” — Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) One of the most hidden and powerful aspects of human identity is how many of us have shame and harsh judgments towards ourselves. Some of us are barely aware of our self-contempt; others are drowning in …
