I just left the side of my friend who is dying. I doubt that he will last through the day. I have done this so many times…visited someone in hospice, sitting in awkward silence as they breathe the raspy, rattling, uneven breath of one who is near the end. Is this the last one?…this one?…this...Read More

A few weeks ago I googled “books about life transitions”. It has been a year and a half since I began the biggest transition of my life, my retirement from 42 years of pastoral work. I, somewhat arrogantly, assumed I would simply turn out the light and close the door on one phase of my...Read More

I have typed this word a lot lately…“sigh”… This in response to emails and text messages expressing frustration and fears over the mask mandate civil war. Clients and friends have reached to me out in exasperation, asking me how they should respond to their constituency or their kid’s friend’s mom or to Uncle Larry, those...Read More

“The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” -author unknown That is so over-the-top, isn’t it? A sledgehammer proverb to motivate procrastinators and sluggards. Imagine laying that on your little 6 year old who says, “I really planned to clean up my room!” But as audacious as it is, that proverb does make a...Read More

Dreaming is not enough. Oh, it’s wonderful to pine after something, isn’t it? To stare into the mist with hopeful imagination fills me with great energy…for about 10 minutes. Then I fall back to earth with the realization that my dreams won’t suddenly materialize simply because I WILL them into existence. “Wait,” you might be...Read More

The title of this blog post comes from Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet Carl Sandburg. I agree with him, wholeheartedly. Dreaming unlocks the door to change. That includes dreaming about your well-being, your state of happiness, your comfort and self-worth. If you sincerely desire to enrich your well-being, then the next move you make must be...Read More

How’s it going? What’s up? How are you? 8 weeks ago, I wondered how you would respond to that simple test of well-being. The “how are you?” question usually generates one of four responses: “I’m not well.” ”I’m ok.”  “I’m good!” or “I’m great!” Those responses indicate, respectively, whether you are struggling, subsisting, satisfied or...Read More

Even if your body feels ok. Even if you’re more or less at peace. Even if your life is generally in order. Even if your relationships seem to be healthy. And even if your financial state is sound. Your well-being may be less than desired. You may carry a lingering dissatisfaction with life. It’s likely...Read More

How would you describe your current state of well-being? And by well-being, I mean your state of happiness, comfort, and self-worth. That is the question I posed back in early June in the first newsletter/blog post in this series focused on well-being. I wonder now, six weeks later, if you would modify your answer? Are...Read More

We argued over green beans. Squabbling in that supermarket aisle, holding the Del Monte can in one hand and the black and white labeled generic brand in the other, I struggled to not raise my voice at Penny. 40 years ago, my foodie sensibilities would not allow me to buy just plain old green beans,...Read More