Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
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
What constitutes a successful life? We are accustomed to defining success in terms of wealth, power and prestige. But is this what truly makes for a successful life? The word success comes from the Latin succedere, which simply means “make something happen.” So what if the something accrued to the benefit of others rather than oneself? What if success was defined by a person’s value to others? The connection between successful … Continue reading A Successful Life
The following is an edited version of a post originally published February 11, 2017. I’m Marsha, and I’m not an alcoholic. On the face of it, this is my story. When I got together with Pat, he had 10 years of sobriety. I was in love, and in the space of a heartbeat, I decided to become a non-drinker. I had never been much of … Continue reading Why I Love Sobriety (by Marsha)
I’ve been asking myself where exactly does prejudice come from. Inherited insecurities? Superiority complex? Prejudicial teaching? In 1954 Gordon Allport linked prejudice to categorical thinking claiming prejudice was a natural and normal process for humans. According to him, “The human mind must think with the aid of categories…once formed categories become the basis for prejudgement. We can’t possibly avoid the process. … Continue reading Beyond Prejudice
This past holiday season was marked by many things. It was the first holiday shared in the home of our son and his family, the first holiday season in 27 years in the Pacific Northwest, and the first Christmas in decades celebrated in our own home. It was also a rare, but gorgeous, white Christmas in the Seattle area. And yet for all these firsts, … Continue reading Call Your Friends