The story of women journalists in Gaza requires a new definition of courage. Many of these women are under 30. Several are young...
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. [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
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 [...]
Pat Taub
A Change of Heart is Needed
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN As we watch countries move farther to the right and leaders embrace fascism we see that there is something they have in common: punitive immigration policies. Trump’s closing speech of the RNC convention shows that he is no different. Vilifying those seeking asylum is something that has a long history in this [...]
Pat Taub