Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
This week’s post was inspired by a conversation with Tucker McHugh, a high school classmate who I have known for over 50 years. It was originally posted in December of 2017. I was raised on Wheaties, “The Breakfast of Champions.” Winning defined the purpose of my every endeavor: winning at school, winning at sports, winning with friends. Winning was symbolized by blue ribbons, gold stars, and A-pluses. … Continue reading Failure is a Gift
I recently turned 74 and to celebrate the event Marsha took me out to breakfast. It’s customary for us to mark the passing of each year with a reflective question. This year Marsha asked me, “Pat, how have you grown?” Hmmmm — nothing came to mind, nothing at all. It seems with the passage of time life has become a game of subtractions, not additions. Where … Continue reading A Time for Pruning
Friend Paul Schrijnen sent me an extraordinary poem written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer while he was in Flossenburg Prison. Bonhoeffer wrote the poem shortly after he was sentenced to be hanged for his role in the conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler. The poem is entitled Who Am I? Who am I? They often tell meI stepped from my cell’s confinementCalmly, cheerfully, firmly,Like a Squire from his … Continue reading At The End, Who Are We?
A happenstance is defined simply as a chance encounter. Some happenstances we remember for a lifetime, others we forget quickly, and then there are those few that miraculously change our lives forever. Here’s the story of a miraculous happenstance that ricocheted through history, saving the lives of millions — even my own. It began with a man named Rowland Hazzard. Rowland was born In 1881 … Continue reading The “Happenstance” of Sobriety
Friday evening was the beginning of Passover, when the “mighty hand of Adonai” freed the Israelites from Egypt and sent them to wandering — in the desert. It is a story well worth remembering. It begins when the Israelites were held in bondage in Egypt. The Hebrew word for Egypt is mitzrayim, which literally means a “narrow place.” The Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, starts fretting … Continue reading Passover