Life Challenges
Reflections and poetry inspired by life’s many challenges with some articles about how to navigate through difficulties with hope and grace.
-
Spiritual Reflections on Illness and Aging
After avoiding the illness that changed the world, I finally experienced firsthand the effects of COVID-19 in my own body. Following are reflections on the gifts of that…
-
Dekker-225
Welcome to Dekker’s monthly post, where he brings canine perspective and wisdom to questions people ask. Dekker is the service dog of the creator of this blog a…
-
Beyond DNA: The Two Threads of Our Legacy
When we think about what we pass on to our descendants, we usually think first of DNA. DNA is like nature's ultimate hand-me-down, passing along Aunt Betty's musical…
-
LETTING GO OF THE WHEEL: A PATH TO PEACE
The speedometer read zero, but my heart raced at sixty. Though temporary, that moment marked a profound change in my life.
-
Dekker Opens His Heart to a Grieving Widower
Dekker, a service dog with many unique talents, responds to readers' questions with the wisdom he has become famous for. Today he responds to a man in grief...
-
When Saying ‘No’ Becomes A Prayer
When Saying 'No' Becomes a PrayerI've come to believe that one of our most powerful prayers isn't found in ancient liturgies or morning devotions - it's in the…
-
The Sacred Dance: When Rebellion Meets True Strength
The Moment of ChangeI was seventy-four when I finally said 'no' to hosting Christmas breakfast. The year before, our family tradition of stockings and breakfast ...
-
Spiritual Aging: Beyond Doctor Visits and Exercise Plans
A reader recently asked why we seem to focus more on physical issues as we age than the spiritual ones. When my friend Sarah turned 75, her calendar…
-
Aged to Perfection: Finding Freedom from the Perfectionism Trap
perfectioHow many things in your life say "aged to perfection" on the label? I can think of both wine and cheese that fit this category, but I have…
-
The Sound of Silence: Reflections on What Lies Beyond Death
Have you ever experienced a moment so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat? When my father passed away, I discovered a special kind of silence in his…
-
Wisdom from Dekker
Welcome to Dekker’s canine counsel for issues that plague people…but not often other dogs. Why is that? We may never know, but listening to our furry companions can…
-
Temptation or Motivation?
Are temptation and motivation the same thing? How might they differ? Does it matter? As I made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies the other day....
-
Dekker speaks
If this is your first time visiting The Reflective Pen, you may not have heard about Dekker. He is my service dog who, during the pandemic, when there…
-
Dekker responds to humans…and dogs
What follows is a bit of canine wisdom from Dekker, the service dog. Dekker considers questions sent to him by both humans and their pets, giving his wisdom...
-
Dekker Writes
I invite you to pretend for a moment that you see paw prints, a bit of drool and some kibble crumbs on this page. Such is life when…
