WHEN ‘ME TOO’ MEANS SOMETHING

When you ‘re in a mess, hurting or lost, it can be very difficult to hear what others are saying. Words run together or simply sound like noise. If someone you are very close to dies, whether it’s anticipated or sudden, the shock can be and often is so severe that almost everything seems garbled and mixed up. The unreal nature of the event can be so difficult to take in that...
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MY FRIEND HURTS, HOW DO I HELP?

One of the most common concerns for those who have friends or relatives who are struggling with feelings of grief, is “What can I do to help?” It can be very difficult to watch someone that you care for be affected by sadness, loneliness and the feelings of despair that grief often brings with it. Without turning this into a list of do’s and don’ts here are a few very importa...
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THE POWER OF LOSS

There are so many people who become lost in life. There are so many who “fall through the cracks”. So many who lose their footing and simply can’t manage to do the things that allow them to participate in what we might call “usual or regular” daily life. There are, I suppose, three main reasons why people become lost. Of course there is the struggle and strife that can so e...
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BROKEN

I walked a crowded street with my son yesterday. Part way through our journey he asked, “ Why are there so many people who seem so lost, so messed up? I went through the list of most likely possibilities that came to my mind. Chemical imbalance or wiring problems was my first thought, people who have a “ medical condition” where coping with daily life is difficult. From there...
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THE GROCERY STORE

I am regularly surprised at things that I see, hear or read. I had an unsettling experience a few days ago when I went to the grocery store. As I was checking out, the woman who was on the other side of the counter told me the amount that I owed and then asked if I wanted to donate an additional amount to the store’s children’s charity. “ We are asking people to add $2...
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ADDING TO THE MESS

Last week I was at the grocery store. The person who was checking me out was not at all interested in helping me in anyway. She hurried through the order and watched as I packed the bags. When she was finished scanning the items she stood there looking impatient as I tried to keep up. Near the end, she began helping the next person before I was finished packing. As a result...
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HUMBLING

I like to give. I don’t give so that I can speak of it only so that I might help a little and benefit a lot. I have just returned from a trip to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. It is a humbling place to go and it refreshes my soul each time I manage to give to another. What I get in the transaction is much more than what I give.
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BACK TO SCHOOL

This is back to school week where I live. Yesterday I was sitting next to a group of parents in a coffee shop who I think had just dropped their children off at school. The parents were jittery and excited. The tone was stressed and the volume high. I had no trouble over hearing. They were worried about their children getting things right at school. One said that they would ...
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BULLYING

It’s interesting how we can get our viewing tools mixed up. Sometimes we look at something through a microscope, when really we need a tool that can capture a great deal of area, like a wide-angle lens. Sometimes we use a wide lens or even a telescope when a microscope is required. We hear a lot about bullying these days. It’s become a very common topic and one that many...
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1+1=1

I sat with two people that I know a little a few days ago. I was in an interesting spot because the conversation did not involve me. For about 15 minutes I was merely a spectator, I felt no need to get involved. I was content to watch and listen. I wouldn’t call the exchange an argument but it was certainly a lively back and forth between two very different points of view...
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