The changing of the year is traditionally a time to reflect on the past and make promises to ourselves about the immediate future. The immediate future: that new year that sneaks up on us and stares us down with a look that says, I dare you. Sometimes we promise too much to and of ourselves,... Continue Reading →
Receiving as Giving
“It is better to give than to receive.” We have probably all heard this from our parents when we didn’t receive as much as or exactly what we wanted at Christmas. As parents, we have likely said this to our children for the same reason. To be sure, it is an important lesson to teach... Continue Reading →
Power: Lost and Found
When we suffer from an illness, a traumatic event, or times of difficulty brought on by another's suffering or a personal loss, we can feel quite powerless. It's important to regain our sense of power so that we can move ahead with our lives and heal. If we lose our sense of power, we lose... Continue Reading →
The Weight of Words
In "The Meanings of a Word," Gloria Naylor writes that "words are innocuous" and that it's how we understand and use them that give them "true power." In other words, the meanings we assign to words give them their weight. Simply looking at a word, we see a senseless combination of letters--some short and some... Continue Reading →