If you’re feeling more Grinch than Santa, more Scrooge than Elf, then you may need a little extra dose of tender loving care. And guess who is the best person to provide this TLC? YOU are. Self-compassion practices are remarkably…
A 17 Year Blink
She sat across from me, her eyes tearing up. “I am at the end of an era. My youngest child just graduated from high school and my life will never be the same,” she said. This wasn’t an expression of…
Thawing the Frozen Heart
After your heart is broken, what happens? The natural reaction is to shut down, contract, and protect the remaining shards. In fact, for many people, after experiencing the searing pain of loss, their hearts begin to freeze over. Eternal winter.…
Will Your Future Self Thank You?
A miracle has occurred in my life. After many years of eschewing rigorous exercise, I am now involved in a sport. I’m celebrating three months of regular participation in the high intensity, constantly varied, functional sport known as Crossfit. Believe…
Requiem
Requiem . . . Latin for “rest.” It comforts me to imagine a resting place of heavenly peace for all those whom we have loved and lost; a place where they are granted a peace so sublime that there is…
Healthy Grieving
Because loss is a natural part of living, so too is grief a natural process that we need to understand. Most of us will be on that path sooner or later. Knowing some of the elements of healthy grieving sheds…
When A Dream Is More Than A Dream
I was lying there with him on the blue rug in my home office. He was youthful and energetic, kicking his furry legs out joyfully — a playful gesture that I had always called “Kangaroo Jack.” I felt his fur. …
When it’s NOT the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I was standing in line at the Post Office with packages to mail. The man in front of me, as he received his receipt from the postal worker said, “Well I won’t bother to wish you happy holidays. I can’t…
The Time is Now
What’s your relationship to time? Is “time on your side” or are you “running out of time?” Do you have “too much time on your hands” and find yourself “killing time?” Or do you live like there’s “no time like…
Grief Intelligence: A Primer
(Note: This article, published on The Huffington Post, has received over 34,000 likes in the last month. Please continue to share it) For the past 25 years, I have worked with thousands of grievers. I have sat with widows and…