If you’re casting about for a way to take the edge off Trump’s wrecking ball, I heartily recommend the uplifting powers of a great...
What Happened to Us?
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN One hundred years ago in 1924 a Zionist paramilitary defense force, the Haganah, proclaimed the role of protecting the newly formed communities of Jewish settlers in Palestine. Their slogan, “Judaea was lost by blood and fire and will rise again by blood and fire” continues to direct Zionist ideology all these years [...]
Want Inner Peace: Practice Soul Care
In today’s frantic world, inner peace can feel unattainable, but it’s not all that elusive if you practice soul care. Living soulfully involves developing practices that lead to a life of integrity and deep meaning. When your soul come alive, your world lights up, transporting you to another dimension. You feel one with the universe. [...]
Wrestling with Ego
This past weekend I was visited by my brother and his wife, who are doing their best to live fully with my brother’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis. After they drove away, and I reflected on their visit, I was struck by how many times I passed judgment for my brother’s difficulty restraining his hyper-behavior and for my sister-in-law’s [...]
When Israelis Kill Americans
GUEST POST by JANET WEIL “If you harm an American, we will respond.” – President Joe Biden, February 2024 The young woman had large brown eyes and a wide smile. She had a cause: solidarity with Palestine. But unlike the young Palestinian women murdered by Israel over the last 11 months, there was something different about her. Aysenur [...]
When Genocide Becomes Normalized
Caitlin Johnstone, the prophetic Australian blogger, lamented in a recent post that the genocide in Gaza has become normalized for most Americans who tend to react with a fleeting comment, like, “It’s horrible,” and then go about their lives, where Gaza is a mere footnote. Johnstone challenges us to open our eyes to the propaganda [...]
Growth Through Vulnerability
Being vulnerable is generally defined as speaking and acting in a way that involves a risk where the outcome is unpredictable. For this reason, many take pains to avoid being vulnerable rather than chance receiving disapproval and rejection. This limited perspective overlooks the enormous benefits of being vulnerable. Abigail Thomas, the [...]
Listening to Elders
The passing down of elder wisdom is an honored tradition among cultures like the Natives Americans and the Japanese where elders are sought out for their sage advice. Unfortunately, this intergenerational exchange rarely happens in America’s youth-obsessed culture, which devalues elders and their lived experiences. But as more Americans [...]
Facing My Fears of Death
About seven months ago my beloved younger brother phoned to inform me he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He assured me he was accepting of his diagnosis, adding that he and his wife had applied for companion-assisted suicide at the point when his memory loss makes it difficult for him to function. Once I got over the shock of my brother’s [...]
Gaza’s Forgotten Children
I feel like I’m living in an alternate reality where the mounting deaths, grave injuries and trauma experienced by Gaza’s children are barely reported. What makes headlines are soft stories like the Olympics, a largely substance-free Presidential campaign, the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez drama while the nightmare in Gaza continues at [...]
Terror or Guilt: A Day at the Pool
GUEST POST by BARBARA BENGELS I was swimming at the local pool, relaxing and trying not to think about politics. To my dismay, I overheard two gentlemen swimming next to me, saying sotto voce, “Soon the whites will be in the minority. We already are in some parts of the country.” It was clear from their voices that this was an appalling [...]