Life was great in the 90’s. Wonderful longtime partner. Beautifully remodeled house designed by a world-class architect.  Successful business ventures for me and and my partner. Money rolling in. Political involvement. Making a difference in human rights. Great family and friends. Can’t get much better than that – the American dream in action.

But the universe, or whatever you want to call the force that permeates all, had other ideas. That force clobbered me and knocked me awake. And life was never the same after that. Read the rest of this entry »

You want to know how to experience something so moving that it makes the bottom of your heart shiver? I can tell you. Read the rest of this entry »

I almost skipped the Dempster Highway and headed for the Homer, Alaska. My heart and my body wanted a rest, to sit near the ocean and stop driving. But when I arrived a few kilometers outside Dawson City, Yukon, my hands turned the wheel and I veered north. The road quickly degenerated from blacktop to rough pavement, to a gravel, rock slate mix that rose many feet above the permafrost. Took concentration and dedicated purpose to drive that road.

Eagle Plains is an oasis at the halfway point. There’s a service station, a hotel with a lounge and a helipad. Inside the service station is a mountain of tires travelers need to repair the tires the Dempster ate. Tents and RVs cluster around a dusty lot on the north end, housing those who haven’t given in to the lure of a soft bed after jolting along the rocky highway. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I watched the movie Invictus for the second time. It’s the story of how Nelson Mandela actively supported the South African Springboks rugby team in the early years of his presidency. He knew the power a winning team to bring people together. That winning the world cup could help to bind the wounds of a bleeding nation.

More importantly, Mandela knew that forgiveness was more powerful than any vindictive action or long carried resentment.

The last post I wrote was about the complexity of loss. It was about commitment and the anchors that ground us in life and what happens when we lose those. What you don’t know is that I deleted much of the original writing, stripping out words I decided were best suited for my eyes only. Read the rest of this entry »

After a week without Keesha, I find that I miss just talking with her. Sure, dogs don’t “talk” back in the same way a human does. But she was my confidant. And an anchor in my life. Having her to be responsible for grounded me and gave my days a structure, a purpose even, a commitment I made and kept.

Two days after Keesha died was the day after Thanksgiving. My parents and I walked around my old hometown during the annual Christmas walk. People strolled the streets, carolers sang on the sidewalk, the shoe repair shop I worked at during high school had a rowdy bunch singing heartily, stores gave out treats, the volunteer fire department’s doors were open with their shiny red trucks parked outside.

I watched people with their dogs and longed for Keesha to be walking with me on this night when dogs get to go in the stores. With Keesha at my side, I’d have so many more conversations. I’d have plastic bags in my coat pocket and a travel bowl so she could drink water. And I’d have to get home, to make sure she was fed. It’s one way my commitment to her anchored and shaped my days. Read the rest of this entry »