Compassion and Peace in a Confusing World
I wake up each morning, grab the newspaper and a cup of tea and try to make sense of the world. I can’t. The stories generally seem so negative that they are sometimes difficult to read. However, I don’t stop reading because acknowledging that evil and serious concerns exist, I have this crazy idea that… Continue reading Vicarious Grief
My guess is that people who are trained in a particular area of study carry that skill throughout retirement, but I had no idea how it related to high school reunions. I am credentialed in the understanding of grief and loss as my gift that tags along with me. Recently, I attended a reunion of… Continue reading High School Reunions
Last week I read a nice little story in The Guardian newspaper U.S. edition. Written by Anthony Seldon, he reflects on Celebration Day, May 26, 2023. He writes, “I am not sure that people do die – if dying means annulling, disappearing, or being extinguished. They live on in the memories of those who knew and loved them.”… Continue reading The Importance of Memories
For the past couple months I have focused the At Peace blog toward understanding the importance of helping others who are experiencing loss in their life. I hope readers received something helpful in the posts. This week I have received some big-time help in the effort. On May 2, 2023 our Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, declared loneliness as… Continue reading Addressing Loneliness
Last weekend I received a voice mail from Mary, the wife of a friend who worked with me for a number of years. We both retired from our bereavement support jobs about the same time. Mary’s message suggested some troubling news. I immediately returned the call and learned that Michael had died. Difficult news to… Continue reading The World According to Michael
This week I sat in my home office with the television news on. I glanced at pictures of people killed in the Nashville mass shooting. I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw the photo of a nine-year old girl. Her name is Hallie Scruggs. I thought of my seven-year-old granddaughter and refocused… Continue reading May the Light Shine
With all the losses we have faced in the past few years, I have been writing a lot about getting involved with your friends, members of your faith community, neighbors, and friends of friends. I have been making the point that companioning people who have suffered losses do not always require professional therapists, but the… Continue reading Offering Companionship
I read an Opinion column a couple weeks ago in the Washington Post. The writer was Jennifer Rubin, and I agree with just about everything she wrote. In fact, for readers of this blog most of this summary may sound familiar. The column is written for those of us who have not necessarily been part of… Continue reading The Empathy Gap
Last month, I posted a few thoughts about Damar Hamlin’s serious football injury. Football injuries happen with every game, but Damar’s was dramatically different. His heart stopped beating twice. Many of the players and coaches grasped the critical nature of the injury, dropped to their knees and began to pray. The good news is Damar appears… Continue reading An Update and a Mini-Lesson
Almost a month has passed since a Newport News, Virginia elementary school teacher was shot in her class by a six-year-old student. The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, is recovering following surgery and hospitalization. A few days after the shooting, I spoke with a friend who lives in the New York metropolitan area who wanted to know… Continue reading A School Shooting
At Peace 