Family Histories: All That Makes Us Who We Are As a psychologist, I realize that the whole topic of family histories, and how they shape who we are as people, is fraught with complexity. But I have a particular family history that is mine and I would like to share it with you. So here…

Decluttering our Lives If you have ever been to our house or driven by, you will have seen a large Tulip Poplar at the end of our driveway near the street. That tree was not “well” and needed to be dealt with one way or another. We had an arborist come over and he made…

Pico Again and the Joy of Silence In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still. You can go on…

Pico Iyer Speaks of the Benefits of Silence I think I have mentioned (many times?) that my time for spiritual reading is mid-afternoon, when I can have some “unstructured time” (as my youngest son puts it) in my room. And several years ago I discovered the writing of Pico Iyer when I picked up his…

Alexei Navalny Speaks From the Grave Some of you know that for the better part of a year, I spent my afternoon reading sessions slowly reading the prison diary collected and published last year by Alexei Navalny’s widow, Julia Navalny (Alexei Navalny Patriot: A Memoir, Alfred A. Knopf, 2024). It’s a very big book and…