The pleasure, pain and growth of human connection.
I am writing this post on election day. No numbers have been released yet. All is quiet in Minneapolis, for now. I awoke this morning with an uneasy feeling. The feeling stems from a fear that the divisiveness in the United States will erupt tonight and in the days that follow. For many months, I've thought [...]
When I was a young girl of about six or seven, my dad invited some of his friends over to our home. The couple that visited brought their daughter Hazel Ann with them. Hazel Ann had Down Syndrome. My sister and I were afraid of her. She did not talk, just grunted. She chased us around [...]
My sensitivity is more emotional than physical. Unfamiliar or disagreeable sounds, tastes and textures do not generally ruin my day. My husband may beg to differ. I do like it pitch dark and silent at night for sleeping, but my waking hours are not plagued by discomfort or high sensitivity to physical items. I used [...]
My friend, Kimber, said it is better to make a partner or child feel safe than make them feel comfortable. "What is the difference?" I asked. She said, "If someone feels safe, they can be vulnerable. If we strive to only make them comfortable, they never have to be vulnerable."
When Covid first reared its corona capped head, my employer (the school district), sent everyone home with the belief that we would be back in school in a couple of weeks. When it became clear that was not going to happen, they gave all of the paraprofessionals training videos to watch (80+ hours of them!). At [...]
The uncertainty of Covid 19, the presidential election, racial tension and the economy has everyone looking for mental health support. Mental illness and stress greatly affect our relationships. Guest writer Luke Smith shows us how we can fortify them to withstand the ups and downs of turbulent times. I hope you enjoy it as much as [...]
