Life Challenges
Reflections and poetry inspired by life’s many challenges with some articles about how to navigate through difficulties with hope and grace.
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Dekker Gives Advice to People with Questions
Dekker, a service dog, gives advice to five people who look to him for words of wisdom as they struggle with life.
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When You Sit With a Dying Person
How to look beyond grief and find peace while sitting at the bedside of a loved one who is dying is explained in comparison to childbirth. The joy…
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How You Can Live A Fulfilled Life at Any Age
What does it mean to live a fulfilled life? When asked what it means to live a fulfilled life, Dr. Joos Meyer, a medical doctor…
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Dekker, a Dog who writes an advice column
Dekker is a service dog who loves to write, or more correctly, dictate advice to humans (and sometimes cats and other animals).
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Dekker Answers a Question about Adopted Pets
Dekker is a service dog who offers advice to readers of TheReflectivePen. In this post he responds to questions about 'pandemic pets', as well as questions about death…
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How to Forgive Yourself When You Make Mistakes
How do I forgive myself? ‘Going down the wrong road’ is a common expression for having made a poor choice. This happens. To forgive yourself is the challenge.…
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How Do You Return to Normal After a Huge Loss
Is it ever Possible to Return to Normal? What is normal when life has delivered a significant blow - divorce, death, pandemic, or job loss?
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Dekker – A Service Dog with Answers
Many people have asked me how Dekker ‘writes,’ sharing his wisdom every month in English. The only words that may seem legitimate from a dog are “Woof, woof”....Learning…
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Five Things to Know About Grief and Loss
When you lose a spouse there are a series of expected feelings and experiences ahead. Grief, loneliness, pain, laughter, and joy are only five but worth taking a…
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Five Ways to Stay Calm Without Losing Patience
Five ways to not lose your patience - 1. Slow down...2. Breathe...3. Make waiting a spiritual practice...4. Smile...5. go for a walk
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Learning to Sit Alone With Feelings
Learning to sit is a common Buddhist practice but for this author, the road to sitting was marked by an illness accompanied by cognitive loss that did not…
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Dekker, The Service Dog, Shares His Wisdom
Many people have asked me how Dekker ‘writes,’ sharing his wisdom every month in this blog. The only words that may seem legitimate from a dog are “Woof,…
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One Thing to Know if You Want to be Compassionate
Until I learn to be comfortable with my fear and pain, I will not hear the fear and pain behind another's defensive statements or responses, let alone respond…
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HAS YOUR “BEST IF USED BY” DATE PASSED?
Do you have a "Best if used by" date on your life? What if that date has passed and you find yourself still sitting on the shelf? Here…
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DEKKER’S WISDOM FOR PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS
Dekker says that writing this column is hard work and sometimes he falls asleep while working. There is so much to read and understand about human behavior and…
