I got a call from someone lost. I will call the person, Joe. Joe was at his bottom. He’d run out of ideas. He’d tried everything he could to help his loved one deal with their addiction. He’d exhausted every idea within HIS power and he came up short. So he reached out for help. […]
I realize that I am a day late for the feast day of Ignatius Loyola, still, let me share a few perspectives of Ignatian spirituality that have been helpful to me in my recovery from the addictions of others and in my addictions from my own harmful ways of being. I hope that you will […]
I’ve been in a period of mourning since the season and perhaps the series finale of Ted Lasso aired. I watch these episodes again and again, catching little things that I might have missed before. I love story. And I love good characters. This show excels at both. When I stumble upon a gem like […]
When I was growing up I had a very controlling great aunt who had no children. She was my grandmother’s youngest sister. Because she was unable to have children, she picked favorite nieces and nephews to dote on. If you were one of her ‘favorites’ this devotion came with strings attached. I remember my grandmother […]
I saw this phrase when I was scrolling Instagram yesterday. I liked it so much I shared it on my stories. It resonated with a lot of people there. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I created my own slide using it. I think it is an iteration of the 12-step phrase, ‘If you […]
In 12-step rooms, you will often hear this slogan: “Expectations are just premeditated resentments.” This simple phrase helped me notice that I had unconscious expectations for the way that I thought that my loved ones should recover. I always thought that expectations were a noble thing to have, much like a goal. Instead, this slogan […]
I climbed into my bed, between fresh flannel sheets and turned on the television. I was seeking refuge from the biting cold and the busyness of the Christmas season. I looked through the guide hoping for anything but a Christmas movie. For the last 6 years, I’ve worked a seasonal job at the mall. I […]
A few years ago, I attended a retreat at Ignatius House in Atlanta, GA and Father Greg Boyle, SJ directed the retreat. He told many stories but the one story that seems to have embedded itself into my heart is the one that he tells above. Father Greg is a hero to me. I believe […]
I went to the doctor last week for my semi-annual appointment. He asked me how I was feeling to which I said, “fine.” I thought it was casual conversation. Again, he asked, “Are you feeling okay?” At this point, I was starting to wonder myself. “I think so.” I said, meaning it. “Well your blood […]