Loved People
When One Of Us Falls
6 years ago, my friend Afran ended his life. Though I hadn’t known him long, his life and death impacted me so deeply. Witnessing the effect of his suicide on my community and the grief of so many people I love was almost unbearable. I didn’t know what to do or say, but I knew…
Read MoreI love you
I wrote this 4 years ago and I remember precisely the feeling of expressing it. I still feel exactly the same way. The growing edge is living it and choosing this level of dedication to move, act and react from this wise and inspired part of myself. The sincerity of my words hold up over…
Read MoreMy Aunt Joan
In the beginning of January, I posted about my Aunt Joan, my dad’s middle sister, and her declining mental & physical health. Since then, several people in her town called the police to do wellness checks on her and they finally declared her unfit to live on her own or return to her house. After…
Read MoreFriends
Today I’m happy about driving to Livermore for a strange, yet emotional Bowie Tribute concert. It’s all about who you go with. I’m happy about music that we can bond over and that it can help us find/express our true identity, heal from loss and pain, as well as remind us of our past. I’m…
Read MoreNoan
My Aunt Joan seems to be losing touch with reality. She has disconnected herself from her friends and community and is barely picking up the phone when family members call. She doesn’t have internet, email, or a cell phone. She lives alone and isn’t letting anyone into her house and won’t agree to let us…
Read MoreMy Dad
It’s my dad’s birthday today & I’ve been reflecting on some of the more subtle, but overarchingly powerful influences he’s had on my life. For much of my life, I’ve been more tuned in to noticing the differences between myself and my family than the similarities. I’ve always known that my dad has a brilliant…
Read MoreWhat To Say
I saw a post today with a chart about what not to say to someone who is depressed. Then many people commented that it’s unhelpful to only post what not to say without offering suggestions of what might be most helpful to say. Here is an incredible education in what to say when a friend…
Read MoreHugo Kojola
My paternal grandpa, Hugo “Joe” Kojola was born on this day in 1908 and died in 1994. As a kid I thought that he was Santa Claus because of his white beard, jolly laugh and round belly. He was always giving me cool, shiny rocks that he polished in his rock polishing machine. I still…
Read MoreBest Person Ever
These are some things that George Gray Eagle Bertelstein has said to me over the years that are in my head and heart always to combat the other kinds of thoughts and feelings that aren’t aligned with who I actually am or who I pray to be. On the first day we met he said,…
Read MoreGrandpa B
Clarence Edgar Berger died of an instant massive heart attack in the late summer of 1984. He was my mom’s dad. My Grandpa B. He’d always greet me with a big smile, but he didn’t ever say much to me. He was always swatting his dogs with his cane – somehow in a loving way.…
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