Noah’s Ark Blog
Grief III
I woke up knowing that my new puppy's name would be Gabriel. My husband was well into the process of finding me an animal that he could train as a Service dog to help me with walking, stability, and balance. We chose an Airedale terrier from a line of Performance...
Sorrow II
I have felt compelled to write about politically charged events a few times on this Trauma website. Under the headings of Sorrow, Loss, and Tragedy, I have written about the Sandy Hook massacre, the Gabby Giffords shooting, and the Boston Marathon...
Grief II
Last year my life changed forever. I've joined that club no one wants to be in - one of my children died. My 36 year old son, Joseph, died of a brain aneurysm. In the first blog on Grief, I noted some skillful ways to help someone who is grieving. The depth of the...
Disability
Disability can be visited upon you suddenly and shockingly, as in the case of victims who survive a shooting or bombing, or accident victims of all types. Those who serve in the military continually put themselves at risk for disability and, sadly, with modern...
Transitions
From the moment the decision was made to sell our home and move across the country, to this moment as I sit in my new home to write, there was a span of nearly a year. What was accomplished in that year, essentially creating a whole new life, required considerable...
Suicide
There is an ongoing international conversation about Suicide and Depression sparked by the death this week of beloved comedian Robin Willams. Mental Health professionals and those who have suffered from severe depression or been touched by the suicide of a friend or...
Expectations
The Holidays are a good time to take up the topic of Expectations. We set ourselves up for disappointment time after time when it comes to family, friends, colleagues, and lovers, perhaps never more than during this season. How does this work? I’ll share my...
Mistakes
Having the opportunity, which I consider blessed, to work with dying people in the role of Chaplain, has given me insight into the experience of mistakes, or sins if you will. We think in terms, of course, of a hierarchy of mistakes. Overindulging in a dessert is not...
Perseverance
I was ruminating for a week over an entirely different blog topic when I came across this quote and knew what I needed to write about. " Do not disturb yourself by picturing your life as a whole; do not assemble in your mind the many and varied troubles which have...