Recently I (finally) saw the latest X-Men movie. I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it yet, but think I can safely tell you this small part – the movie is partially set in a time when Charles Xavier is in the middle of a personal crisis. He doubts he has what […]
Selves of Future Past
Forgiving Yourself for Loving an Abusive Parent
A year and a half ago, I planned a pilgrimage to my father’s grave with the intention of repeatedly stabbing it, and perhaps finally letting go of the last of my anger towards him. It didn’t happen that way – the extraordinary week prior to the pilgrimage released the bitter remnants of my anger, and […]
Honoring the Sacrifices of Our Veterans
Tomorrow is Memorial Day is the U.S., a time to honor all of the soldiers who gave their lives in service to our country. In that vein, I’d like to talk today about soldiers who have come home from war alive, but whose spirits have in some ways been sacrificed in service to our country. […]
Reinventing Lent: Giving Up Pointless Suffering
Friends, for many Christian denominations, this is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time of repentance, fasting, and preparation for Christ’s death and resurrection. In my own experience, I observed Lent by giving up something I loved for six weeks, allowing myself to feast on this forbidden thing on Sundays, which don’t […]
Choosing the Path of Ease
If you’ve read much of my blog, you know I embody just a bit of drama. My life lessons loom large, my sorrows great, my joy overwhelming – at least in my own mind. I’ve had a fair amount of training in learning from suffering – growing up with an abusive, mentally ill father, being […]
Battle Tactics: Recognizing Clean vs. Dirty Pain
I’m excited to be sharing with you all the beginning of a series of posts on how to reduce your suffering way faster than you could believe. Recognizing “clean” and “dirty” pain is the very first step on this path, so let’s get started! There’s a school of psychological thought called Acceptance & Commitment Therapy […]