Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein A friend of mine is quite fond of this phrase. He is a faithful and successful AA member who repeats this line to people who ask him for his support on their journey of sobriety. This line comes in very …
Impersonating Ourselves
In All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum tells of the day he was left with eighty boys and girls, all five years old. It was his job to keep these children occupied for one hour, a seemingly, impossible task. In desperation he remembered the game “Giants, Wizards, and Dwarfs,” …
Silence–Freedom or Fear?
As you probably know, the Amish believe in living a simple life–no electricity, no telephones, no motorized vehicles. Yet in many of the communities there is a pay phone. When asked about this apparent discrepancy one elder explained, ’If the telephone were in our home it would control us. As long as it is out …
Marriage Maintenance and Enhancement
To say I’m a little bit passionate about helping couples find ways of staying married in a vital, life-giving way is like saying the pope is a little bit Catholic. Although of course there are times when it makes sense to end a marriage, no one sets out to have their marriage fail. And yet …
Feedback Enhanced Therapy…Off and Running
The iPads have arrived…and with it, our official launch of feedback enhanced therapy. They are so much fun to use, and learning how to use them has been a breeze: I got a call from Dr. Eric Kuelker, a psychologist with Mental Health Pros, last fall. He called to tell me about a …
Getting the Walls and Windows Right
“What God has joined together, let no one come between” …with those words a good friend of mine completed the formal part of the vows for a couple dear to me. Those words were spoken at Pineridge Hollow near Winnipeg. The weather was perfect,with the sun shining brightly and yet it was comfortable.The grass was …
Mezmerizing Son, Beautiful Mom
There is little that is more beautiful than watching a son conquer, with the help of a mother’s love and support…and especially so, when the son awes us with something that, is in itself, beautiful. Inspiration: Conner has overcome significant challenges against all odds to do something that does him proud. That does a heart …
Creating Security
I was having trouble sleeping last night. And no, not because it was too unbearably hot-it had been a very warm day, but there was a slight breeze coming in the window that was gradually cooling the room. And no, not because the wedding I attended had me thinking about the beauty of love. I …
Leaning
I was out in my front yard this morning, pulling weeds and putting in a few late plants to fill in the holes that are left by some of the early bloomers. The lilies will bloom soon. I noticed this morning, in the early morning sun, how they are oriented: I had the camera straight …
Bitterness
Charlie was charming and funny when he was sober but if he had a glass of scotch in his hand you would soon hear the story of how his father ripped the pocket off a new shirt his sister had given him when the dad spotted a pack of cigarettes in it. Charlie left town …