Tough love can have its place, but without true compassion, it can also be very destructive; dismissal and indifference were gasoline on my ever-smoldering fire of pain and confusion.
Tag: Shards of My Soul
Chipping away
I know I ended with another teaser last month (that I’ve been introduced to a new medical approach to my long-standing spinal issues), but you’ll have to endure a bit of a wait for that revelation. A little sidetrack is in order.
Mountains of melo-trauma
I could spend an entire year’s worth of columns trying to share the volume of information floating in cyberspace (and piled on brick-and-mortar bookshelves) about trauma.
Sticking with my chosen metaphor, it’s like that giant snow bank at the end of your driveway as December draws to a close, and before any January thaw comes to the rescue.
One flake at a time
I thought about taking this column on a 90-degree turn from last month’s “Snowball” cliffhanger, but I’m feeling too guilty about stringing you along ad infinitum, so we shan’t skip a beat.
Holy help for Holy Week
Another Holy Week is upon us. I’d like to be able to say, “Holy Holstein, where did Lent go??” However, I find myself falling short on that score.
The changeup
Those who caught last month’s column may recall that I was on a bit of a hopeful high: Savoring my Valentine décor, embracing a reinvigorated devotion to The Little Flower, and resting in the solace of my epiphany regarding heavy crosses that are long in duration.
A rose by any other name
The older I get, the more I become a creature of habit. Does life work any other way?
In God We Trust
Welcome to a brand-new year. We’re two weeks into it (as of this writing), and all seems to be going according to Hoyle by my metrics: Snow on the ground, ice on the side roads, a wind chill or two that has reached subzero.
My quiet strength
I’ve been working my way through one of the loveliest Advent prayer and meditation guides I’ve encountered in years: Behold, by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT.
Thanks-living in the moment
For now, take heart that my ability to understand His plan for me, accept it even when I don’t understand it, and truly believe in His love for me continues to grow — as does my capacity to live more of my life in the moment.