Life Opportunity #3: Express your feelings

I recently spoke to a group of young adults (and their teachers/family/friends) at their high school graduation. I’ve written beforeabout Bronnie Ware’s The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. These themes are also echoed within the walls of our therapy offices at Bergen and Associates every day, and whispered to each other in The Daring Way™ groups that I offer regularly. And I …

Life Opportunity #2: Work Well

I recently spoke to a group of young adults (and their teachers/family/friends) at their high school graduation. I’ve written before about Bronnie Ware’s The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. These themes are also echoed within the walls of our therapy offices at Bergen and Associates every day, and whispered to each other in The Daring Way™ groups that …

Owning my story

Last week I was the speaker at my Junior Tribe Member’s high school graduation ceremony.  It is tradition to ask a parent to speak at the school’s grad ceremony and I was tickled, thrilled and honoured to be asked.   Many of the other accomplished, competent parents could have been asked…and they phoned me. I …

Juxtaposed Joy and Pain

I listened to Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Wonderful World” the other day. I love that song…however, how I hear it was forever changed many years ago…and my brain plays a music video in my head when I hear this song, no matter where I am or what’s happening when this song plays:   I …

Care and feeding of your spirit

Last week I received a gift. As with every gift, the meaning of the gift is comprised of the giver, the gift, and the context of the gift.  In each department…this gift is profound: The Giver: I received this from D*. M, D’s wife, attended The Daring Way ™ intensive in March. She loved it. …

A letter to my silent sons

Dear boys, 21 years ago today you were born.  For most moms, that would mean a cheerful greeting of “Happy Birthday” to her boys…and times 2 for twins.  🙂   For this mom, it means visiting your grave. It’s still so sad for me to know that the day of your births was also the …

Father-ishness

Today is a day we honour fathers in our lives…”Father’s Day”…and folks all over the city are having brunches, breakfasts of dried out cold toast or limp waffles, and BarBQ’s. The value of fathers in a child’s life cannot be overestimated. Having a father to affirm your personhood, to celebrate who you are, to remind …

Connection–why we’re here

 It’s the connection that heals This is one of my favorite topics in the world…I counsel people in light of it, I teach it in workshops and sermons and university classes, and to the best of my imperfect ability, I live it. I stumbled across Dr. Brene Brown’s work several years ago, and am so …