I just returned home from a good friend’s funeral. She died a horrible death, the result of a sudden and catastrophic illness which struck her down just after the new year arrived. The funeral was in cold and snowy Minnesota,…
I just returned home from a good friend’s funeral. She died a horrible death, the result of a sudden and catastrophic illness which struck her down just after the new year arrived. The funeral was in cold and snowy Minnesota,…
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne is the patron saint of perseverance amidst adversity. What better person to start us off this Advent, as we enter into a season of preparation amidst the commercial and material jungle we navigate every year? We…
I love spring, and I love summer even more. One major reason I moved to Austin was for the climate—not necessarily the excessive heat that climate change has been bringing during the summer days, but still I would rather be…
You can read Part 1 here. I was hospitalized for 10 days, during which I underwent several more procedures and discussed the potential plan of my care with the doctors. I received a 3rd blood transfusion and a long-term IV…
When I left off last time around, I was in the midst of the longest winter, literally and figuratively, of my life. I truly identify this period of time as the Dark Night of the Soul. The pain and dis-integration…
I just spent a long weekend in Minneapolis. Eight years after my sudden departure from the city, I returned for a visit with my dear friend and former roommate. This friend is the one who refused to be a rescuer…
We hear the question sometimes: “What would you say to your 20-year old self?” As we reflect on choices, life events, and how our journeys have been shaped over the decades past, we think back on where we once predicted…
Most of us, I hope, have experienced the gift of a true, genuine friendship. Perhaps some of you have several, or even many, good friends. Friendships ebb and flow. Some are decades long, and others are intense for a shared…
I have been able to realize some pretty extraordinary stuff in my life. I remember that growing up, I looked forward to the “mountaintop” experiences to get through the mundane moments of ordinary life. I remember thinking I had so…
I have led a life filled with unique experiences that I have walked through alone. I have been acutely aware of my singleness, and even more so, my aloneness, of late. When I was young, I presumed that I would…
