Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
I recently visited the cemeteries and grave sites of my family. Each soul is sacred and with each grave stone there is a story. Taken together they represent my ancestral identity. I do not inhabit this world alone; my family was assigned to me without my consent. My ancestral identity surrounds me, and there is no escaping their presence. At Holyrood Cemetery lies my father’s father, … Continue reading The Power of Ancestors
This quote from Joseph Campbell is heartening when I am in a place of deep struggle. But doesn’t the “dark night of the soul” sometimes seem unfathomably long? When my dark nights descend upon me negativity feeds on me like a hungry mushroom, my world morphs into a small, dreary place, the sun never shines, and it’s perpetually 10 minutes before midnight. These are … Continue reading The Passing of a Dark Night
Like many of you, I’ve become traumatized by the plight of the growing refugee population. By some accounts, they number over 65 million, 48 million of whom are children. The global response to this crisis has been appalling. Tens of millions have been left stranded in makeshift way stations, refugee camps or drifting at sea. Refugees are being treated as the enemy, and since most … Continue reading In Search of Inspiration
I have noticed recently that I often feel trapped in a sordid and negative news loop that drags even the heartiest of souls into the gutter. When this happens It is all to easy to lapse into cynicism and despair. I find it helpful to turn to stories and illustrations that remind me that humans can have another path. Here is one such story of … Continue reading Devotion
Rousseau said, “To endure is the first thing that a child ought to learn, and that which he will have the most need to know.” I remember my Grandpa Pat sharing stories of the Irish Potato Famine (1845-50), crying as he spoke. The collective tragedy was so great that it continues to scar the Irish psyche to this day. Hard times may be collective, like … Continue reading Surviving in the Hardest of Hard Times