Writing about what happens when family relationships are pulled apart by loyalty, influence, distance, silence, and competing narratives. The grief of loving people who are still alive, the confusion of being shut out, and the reality of trying to live inside a relationship you no longer get to participate in.
Rightness Over Goodness The tribal tension in our country right now is a perfect parallel to the dynamic of my family of origin—overflowing with remarkable efforts toward rightness and victory rather than goodness and kindness. By rightness, I mean triumph and domination, as if winning is evidence of truth and goodness. In my own recovery, guided by a daily commitment to spiritual striving, I seek only to practice living and acting with a glad and pure heart. I can be…
My sons and I have recently relocated to a family oriented community filled with children and amenities that support connection and ease of access to families and school aged kids in the neighborhood. I was going deeper into debt with each month that passed in our previous home within a small empty nester community, and we were each longing for readily accessible families with children. We are now located in a more remote area within a community that feels right…
