Brave

I hugged the Pope 4 times. It was consensual. I asked permission. As he granted my request, his smile reached all the way to his eyes. Want to know how it felt? Imagine you are in the most comfortable bed upon which you have ever rested. Your body is perfectly cradled and supported. The room…

On Nov 7th 2019, Jenn Schlecht met her real-life monster for the last time when  she was brutally killed and yet another victim of domestic violence. I am assuming that she “stayed for her child” thinking that she could “fix” the monster. She was wrong. The monster decapitated both she and her 5-year-old daughter. Jenn…

There is talk of war. There is a sense that those who like to wage wars are firmly entrenched in our leadership. Have you seen VICE? The movie about Dick Cheney? He was responsible for the Iraq war. He seemed to love war. I can’t control the warmongering folk in our world. I can only…

She sat in front of me and I could see on her face that a new memory had surfaced. Her facial muscles collapsed, and she hung her head. She was in the back seat with a family member. She did not remember who was in the front. The conversation went from casual to her husband…

When we do the work of ending violence at home, we are speaking for people who do not have a voice. We may not want to believe that high powered women are voiceless when it comes to reporting domestic violence. They fall for the same crappy comments that abusers have given for centuries. “No one…

Do you have an air conditioner??? Years ago, a divorced friend of mine agreed that her son could spend a week with his father. She had full custody. The son did not want to go, but the mom thought it would be good for her son to keep them connected. The only thing the mom…

5.00AM She wakes up with haste as she feels him stir. The memory of the violence last night is evident in her aching ribs. 5.15AM She stands in the dimly lit bathroom, trying to see the bruise, but the angle is odd and there is no one she can ask, especially not him. 5.30AM She…

My whole family took a trip to the “Spy Museum” (https://spyscape.com/) in NY the day after Thanksgiving. Three wonderful things happened: We had an extra ticket and gave it to a stranger and did not ask for repayment. She was shocked in the best way. Eight family members had a blast from trying to slap…

I spent 2.5 days with a very dear friend some time ago. Her husband was also in residence during the weekend. I tried to engage him in conversation, trying to understand who he was and what made him tick. “Who do you admire?” I asked. He admired NO one but himself. He respected his religious…

On December 13th at 3pm in Rome, I will have the distinct pleasure of meeting His Holiness Pope Francis. The Pope likes an initiative that I am involved with, that brings empathy and compassion to the worlds schools. Meeting the Pope was not on my bucket list or any other list I have ever made.…