Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
Yesterday, this post was sent out with a YouTube link that did not appear within the email message. If you scroll to the bottom now, you will find a working link to the beautiful song by Tim Casswell. During the pandemic I’ve made it a point to check in with many of my family and friends. It’s not been what I expected. Rather than finding … Continue reading Living Well In Hard Times (with a link to the song)
I realize the current pandemic has placed a strain on the lives of everyone. Marsha and I extend our thoughts and prayers to each of you. ~ Pat and Marsha ……….. Recently, as we were getting ready for bed, Marsha mused out loud, “I wonder if the Coronavirus will interfere with war.” What a fascinating question. Think about it. Where this virus interferes with our … Continue reading Time to Stop and Listen
As the grandson of Irish immigrants I loved listening to my grandfather tell stories. Grandpa spoke in a deep Irish brogue with delightful, strange inflections. His sentences always ended on a higher note than they began. But what I loved most was the illustrative way he used words to make a point. One summer while we were visiting my grandparents in Soap Lake, Washington, Dad … Continue reading The Irish Just Know How To Say It
No topic has been of more consequence to me over the years than that of becoming a man. Perhaps it’s because I labored over my own difficult journey into maturity, or maybe it’s because I got to be Erin’s stepfather and uncle to some wonderful nephews. Whatever the reason, I’ve given a lot of thought to how boys grow into men. I’ve come to believe … Continue reading On Becoming a Man (Like Frank)
I recently checked in with Paul Schrijnen, an old friend who lives in London, and asked him, “What’s going on over there?” I was referring to Brexit, the UK’s departure from the European Union. I got back this stunning reply, “We face the greatest peril in peacetime since before 1914.” How similar that statement feels to my own experience of politics in America, where our president … Continue reading Confronting Our Big, Fat Collective Anxiety