Tag Archives: Love

The half-brother I’ll never meet

Today is my half-brother’s birthday. When I was a teenager my mother told me to commit to memory her first child’s birth date, hospital name, city, and state. I recited them to myself again and again and throughout my life, … Continue reading

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Coregulation saved my father’s funeral

My father–whose behavior made him a monster to me–was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetery in September. I spent weeks readying. I bought dress slacks, pulled together an outfit, worked through my fears, and intensively practiced three lines of … Continue reading

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“Unleash the Ladybug!”

Della the Janked-Up Ladybug helped me launch my tiny-but-pointed #TraumaAwareAmerica initiative. It focuses on trauma awareness/education and the rights of traumatized people. I initially aimed at frontline providers, because they were the ones who could have greatly helped instead of … Continue reading

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Remembering the man to whom I owe my life

On this Father’s Day I wish to recognize and honor the man to whom I owe my life, even though I only had a short time with him. That was my Granddaddy, my maternal great-grandfather. He was the only grandfather … Continue reading

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“Resilience in the Time of Covid-19” podcast

As the pandemic rolls on I notice signs of chronic stress and even trauma in friends, family, and acquaintances. They describe symptoms like anxiety, panic attacks, depression, loss of hope, and more. I saw these are mild symptoms of chronic … Continue reading

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J.B. the Philadelphia laundry mule driver

 If you are lucky, perhaps once in your life the combination of a beautiful day, an unusually good mood, a snap decision based on a moment’s recognition of another’s struggle, and the inclination to trust the kindness of a stranger … Continue reading

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The flying fish of fate

A year ago today I met a delightful elderly woman on the train when I traveled from Wilmington DE to Wilmington NC on my way to help with a private yacht transit to East Greenrich RI, over 800 miles away. … Continue reading

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Homeschooling as a UU Journey

Delivered August 8, 2004 at Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church, Burke, VA Take a moment to think on a time, maybe not too long ago, when you were excited about learning something that interests you—perhaps a new hobby or a craft, … Continue reading

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Fingerprints on the land

Ralph Waldo Emerson was right in his assertion that success includes, “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch…” Last year as I winnowed my belongings when I downsized to “two bags and … Continue reading

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This ain’t no bro joke

A recently created meme on Facebook asks “If American women are outraged at Trump’s use of naughty words, who in the hell bought 80 million copies of 50 Shades of Grey?” This equates the choice to read erotica with deserving to be sexually … Continue reading

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