Every day I take some time to read comments in response to the nearly 200 posts I have written. I am truly amazed that so many of you take the time to read and then write back your thoughts. I want you to know just how important you are to me. Writing can be a lonely pursuit. Your comments make it far less so. There are so many things that can fill our hearts and that's what thi[...]
11 I was at a meeting tonight and the topic was hope. It's a certainty that everyone who comes to any 12 step group for the first time is bereft of hope. And we seldom even realize that to be the case. We just know that we are terrified and sick of being sick and confused. In my case I went to Al-Anon first. I was looking for a shorthand way to control the crazy, alcoholic man in m[...]
At my 12 step meeting this morning, the topic was how to "get over ourselves" those mornings we feel like snarly cats. Gratefully, I don't have those mornings very often, any more, but I used to grouse at every one upon arising. It wasn't simply that I needed coffee, although that first cup often helped. More than that I needed an attitude adjustment. Fortunately I had a sponsor wh[...]
I have a very close friend who is trying desperately to tolerate the chemo that is necessary for her pancreatic cancer. She came to visit me for a few days and was pretty sick while she was here. She is back up in Minnesota and continues to be sick. I chose this for a topic today because I believe in the power of prayer and I'd like to ask that all of you who happen to be reading thi[...]
Hello, dear friends. Actually, I have not exactly been tardy but I have been away from the blog and for that I owe you an explanation. Some of you have counted on me writing every 3 or 4 days and that's been my intent too. But I have been working very hard, for months, to finish my memoir and have let this part of my work life go unattended to. I emailed the book yesterday so now I[...]
I have been away for the last week doing a workshop and speaking at an AA/ Al-Anon Jamboree in South Padre Island, TX. I love the opportunities my work affords me to meet people from all over the world. Doing workshops, based on books I have written, gives me such pleasure. I feel that I have "been selected" to do the work I do. And I'm quite sure the angels hover around me whethe[...]
I have just spent the last three hours responding to your comments in regard to various blogs already posted on my site. I do this every couple of days so that I don't get too far behind and I want to say again that I love hearing from you. I know I've mentioned this before but I repeat it because of the grace you bring to my life. Simply knowing that you are "out there" catching the[...]
We've probably all made tons of resolutions over the years that we adhered to for a week or less. Maybe only a few hours, in fact. Perhaps that's because resolutions are geared to what we are Not going to do, ever again! I think a more helpful approach might be to set goals or intentions for what we do want to do in the coming year, rather than what we are not going to do. For insta[...]
I am so happy to welcome all of you to this site, the ones who have been here before and all of you who have just stumbled on to it today. I love the connection I can make with all of you here. Connection is what makes this life truly worth living. Because I am an author and my words are read by people I seldom have the good fortune to meet "in the flesh," it's so gratifying that I h[...]
I have spent the last two hours reading your comments to my posts. Every couple of days I do that and I respond to a great many of them. First let me say to all of you: I am extremely gratified that you have become readers and even more gratified that so many of you have taken precious time to respond to a particular post that spoke to you. I didn't realize that would even happen when[...]
