Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
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
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)