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WHERE GRACE HIDES
What does grace look like when our bodies betray us? It’s an uncomfortable question—one we often avoid. We speak of grace as if it always arrives clean and…
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ALL LIFE HAS MEANING
All Life Has Meaning. First in a 5-part series. from The Reflective Pen Manifesto. Suppose for a moment that all of life—not just the “good parts”—had meaning.
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When Everyone Is Dying
What do we do when everyone seems to be dying? Lately, that question has followed me from week to week. I’ve been to six funerals in the past…
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Wisdom from Dekker
As I, Dekker the Service Dog, settle in with my nose tucked under one paw and the other stretched out just far enough to feel the cool tile,…
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A Reflection on Aging
There was a time—long ago—when carrying groceries wasn’t even part of the conversation. At 26, I was learning to carry something far heavier: a diagnosis.
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The Story We Carry and the Ones We Let Go
The Story We Carry and the Ones We Let Go - What If Memories Had Weight?Not the kind you can step on a scale and measure—but something else.…
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The Beauty of Boredom-Embracing Slow Days as Spiritual Space
What if boredom isn’t a problem to solve—but an invitation? We’re taught early on that boredom means something’s wrong. We should be doing more, moving faster, staying busy.…
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Wisdom from Dekker: What Our Pets Leave Behind (and What They Don’t)
Wisdom from Dekker: What Our Pets Leave Behind (and What They Don’t) As I, known by all as Dekker, lie in my favorite sunspot by the window, I…
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Gardening as a Teacher of Prayer–The Rhythm of Planting, Pruning, and Waiting
Gardening as a Teacher of Prayer--The Rhythm of Planting, Pruning, and ... Suppose prayer isn’t something you say at all. Suppose it’s something you grow — quietly, stubbornly,…
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Aging to Perfection
Suppose for a moment that aging were entirely optional. That you could hit pause at 45, keep the skin taut, the knees bendy, the memory sharp. Would you…
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Dekker Writes Again
Slowing Down, Stretching Out, and Smelling What Matters As I (Dekker—service dog, squirrel whisperer, and expert in naps) stretch out in a sunny patch on the floor, I…
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When Life Hands You a Diagnosis— How to Receive, Accept, and Keep Living (and Laughing)
How do you keep living when you receive a difficult diagnosis? Suppose for a moment that your body was a house, and one day, you found a crack…
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Say Goodbye Without Regret
What does it mean to say goodbye when there’s still time—but not enough of it?I recently lost a dear friend. We had one of those slow goodbyes, the…
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Mind Reading – Did You Ever Wish For It?
When I have difficulty understanding someone, I have thought that if I knew mind reading, I would be able to understand better.
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Wisdom from Dekker
As I, known by all as Dekker, lie here in my favorite sunspot by the window, I think about the curious human problems people ask me about.
