The mourning doves are louder than during previous springs, their cooing in search of a mate replacing the cackle-screech of the Starlings of years gone by. We have lived in the same house for 34 years, the Starlings, a calming…
Discernment
Recently, I learned of two tragedies that made me consider life from a different perspective. One involved a man who faced an impossible decision after a fall, a result of a vertigo-induced condition caused by successful chemotherapy. The other tragedy…
Life’s Masterpiece
Life’s only certainty might be that spiritual growth is not linear. Instead, it revisits the past like an infinity symbol on its side, exposing long regression periods. I had been floundering somewhere in the far circle of infinity’s ignorance for…
Then & now
As I recognized the woman—who I hadn’t seen in years—my mind raced with intense associations. I shuffled to their table to say hi. Ten years earlier, the woman had been the communications director for the local school district where I…
View from the shadows
A child is not born judging others, still, society’s pernicious labeling impacts a toddler’s life almost immediately. The child, guilty only of compliance, often reaches adulthood with a dualistic interpretation of the world, a simplistic understanding of all things dark…
DBS – A ten year anniversary
Today marks the tenth anniversary of being released from the Neuro ICU after my life-altering Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery the day before. The four-hour procedure, during which the patient must stay awake, was conducted on November 5th, 2014. Although…
Watching the sunset
The decision to watch the sunset was made at home, thirty-five minutes before the sun officially dipped below the horizon. Such is the advantage – even with mini adventures – of keeping the broad strokes familiar. The ocean offers sufficient…
Figuring it out
A Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis is life-changing, and feeling sorry for yourself is natural. However, playing the victim is not a good place to linger if you want to be around for the long run. It took me eight years…
Doubling down on kindnesss
While waiting in line at the post office yesterday, the distinctive banter of relaxation beyond boredom danced in my ears. “Hey Bernie,” a young woman, the only person working the front counter, called to her coworker in the back sorting…
View from the shadows.
The heat of the June sun is in perfect harmony with the gusty wind, forming the perfect bond between two of nature’s most primal forces. This enhances the illusion of greater meaning in man’s imagined machinations. Days like this usually…