My son and darling daughter-in-law ponder taking their 18 month-old son to Disneyland. I must warn them … 2011. My youngest is 9. It’s a violation of federal law to have a 9 year-old who has never been to Disneyland. So, I pack my boy Joseph into the car and put Las Vegas in my rear view mirror, hitting the road for California. Interstate 15 south – construction, more … [Read more...]
Meet the Acronym ‘SOBER’
The good folks at Alcoholics Anonymous have an extensive collective of acronyms. Like “KISS” (Keep it simple, stupid.) And “DENIAL” (Don’t even notice I am lying.) How about “ALCOHOLICS” (A life centered on helping others live in complete sobriety.) I’m not even scratching the service here. These people have oceans of acronyms. But my all-time favorite AA acronym has to be … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day Is the Worst? What’s up with That?
I start most mornings in the wee hours of sunrise with a cup of coffee and a quick glance at online news headlines. Today, this column caught my attention: https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/voices/mothers-day-is-the-worst-why-i-choose-to-celebrate-all-women/ar-AAvgpmN?ocid=spartandhp I don’t know Jacquelene Amoquandoh. Have never seen the name until this morning, let … [Read more...]
If You Want to Change Your Life Change Your Questions
Sometimes answers just appear. They drop in our lap. A passing conversation, a magazine article, a novel, beholding nature, a confrontation with art, a scene in a popular film, a sermon – sometimes when we least expect it, we get an answer to a question we have never asked, as if the universe was playing a game of cosmic Jeopardy with us. We experience a brand new reality – an … [Read more...]
‘No, I Am Far from Being Ok’
A reader writes: My husband of 47 years passed away in December and I’m wondering if you would recommend any books for me read to get through the grieving process. Also how can I respond when people ask me “are you ok” or “how are you doing”? I am not doing ok so don’t want to say I am but I don’t want to make any one uncomfortable by saying I’m doing awful. Most people want … [Read more...]
Family Bonds That Enslave Us
Intriguing that the word “family” comes from the Latin word familia referring to “a household of slaves or servants.” It is a decidedly NOT sentimental way to think of your relatives. But, oddly enough, it’s the perfect metaphor. Whether we are born into family bonds or we choose them, the heartbeat of healthy family is the constancy and faithfulness in said bonds. These are … [Read more...]
Live Well and Free
Sigismund Schlomo Freud was born on May 6, 1856. And then he changed western civilization as we knew it. Not to mention that, because of Sigmund Freud, I have a job. Sigmund Freud was a social savant. He’s somewhere in the top three of “change agents” of the last 150 years. Because of his ideas, our culture is quintessentially “psychologized.” It is through the lens of … [Read more...]
In Relationships, Accountability Matters
There is no meaningful definition of a human, interpersonal relationship that does not include accountability. If what I want is a meaningful, interdependent, mutually beneficial communion with you, then that must include a more or less perpetual willingness on my part to account when an accounting is called for. It is my obligation. I owe you that. It is good and right for you … [Read more...]