The moment I walked through the door of a 108-year-old allegedly haunted house and saw a bed in the living room — the homeowner was too afraid to sleep in her bedroom because of all the activity upstairs — I knew I was in for a wild night. I found the idea of ghosts more … More Confronting Her Demons
Image by Jordan Benton by Pexels. Sweat dripped down my back. I told myself that it was from the many trips my parents and I had walked up and down the stairs in the summer sun, lugging my bags from the car to my college dorm room. I knew better though. I was nervous about … More Sink or swim moments
When my mom recently replied to me with a sentence starting, “You must understand,” my attention suddenly focused. Understanding my mom has always been harder for me than it was to relate to my dad. He and I shared the same big picture approach to life. Whereas my mom is so much more detail-oriented that … More The Courage to Ask Questions
I saw a sweet father-daughter moment the other day as a new driver slowly circled an empty parking lot with her father (I presumed) riding along – pointing and directing as they swooped and turned and practiced parking, reversing and cornering. I smiled as I passed them and thought about my dad, Sonny, and what … More Courage Behind the Wheel
If you’re asked to describe a courageous person, what comes to mind? A firefighter, dashing to save a life? Galileo Galilei’s defense of the Earth revolving around the Sun? Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole? In each of these cases, there’s a need to face danger, so courage is present. But is this the … More Can You See Different Shades of Courage?
The first time I met Susan I thought she came across as rude and opinionated. I had just started a new job and my boss introduced her as my project manager. She looked to be a few years older than me, wore a black dress and jewelry that seemed better suited for going out on … More What kind of message would I be leaving?
The other night, we were snuggled up at bedtime, when eight-year-old Miss O said, “I asked all my friends at recess to play with me and they all said, ‘no.’” Four-year-old, Mr. D hadn’t shown any sign he was tracking until he chimed in with, “Amelia [one of his classmates] says I can’t follow directions.” … More Congratulations for Staying In The Game
I told a rather light-hearted tale on my personal blog this morning. A brief glimpse into what I remember as a rather courageous act for someone who was not often willing to stand up, or stand out. I remember it mostly as a first glimpse into what being bold and brave might feel like. At … More Defeating Trauma With Courage
My mom held tight to my arm this past Saturday as I helped her to her seat and wheeled her walker out of the way. She doesn’t get around quite like she used to when she was a younger woman, but when the wedding DJ started playing uptempo club music, I joked with her that … More Courage to forge your own path
It’s always amazed me that my parents moved their young family to the Philippines in 1970. They had kids that were 6 years-old, 4 years-old and I was 6 months-old and they moved to SE Asia in the middle of the Vietnam War. But they described the US at that time as feeling as if … More The Courage to Not Be Divisive
The Heart of the Matter 