News and Events
Parents

Spoiler Alert: This post reveals important plot elements of the miniseries 13 Reasons Why. When I decided to write a piece on the miniseries 13 Reasons Now, I had a chance to discuss it with some kids from our group. As with any complicated topic, the reactions are varied. Some of us enjoyed it – […]

Mental Health
Amazing Super Power Discovered
April 27, 2017

So, if you’ve spoken with me over the last few years you may have heard my super power joke. This is the joke where I recount all of the wonderful effects of sudden and severe trauma: sleeplessness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, memory loss…wait, did I say that one already? OK, never mind. The joke concludes […]

Thoughts
Thoughts on Responding to Tragedy
February 15, 2016

Last week we had a chance to sit down with Jobin Panicker from WFAA and offer some of our reflections on the how families and communities deal with grief after a suicide. You can see the story here. It’s not an easy subject. Suicide leaves a wound in families, in schools, and in communities. My first observation […]

Thoughts
Can We be Thankful for Suffering?
November 27, 2015

What to do about suffering? It’s a problem, isn’t it? We see it everywhere, we work hard to stamp it out — and it keeps coming back like a weed. What does it mean? It does seem to be part of the human condition. And because it seems to be part of the human condition, […]

Thoughts
Crooked Lines and a Girl in Pink
October 5, 2015

This weekend I found myself thinking I was going somewhere, and I was really going somewhere else. Where I thought I was going was to Ray and Deanna’s house. They are very good friends who took care of us (along with a thousand other people) when we were unable to do so ourselves. Where I […]

Thoughts

For all young people going back to school, now is a good time to check in. New classes, new teachers, new friends, old friends. There’s excitement and hope. That’s awesome. That enthusiasm and hope is what young people bring into the world. Thank you for that. That is your gift. I also know that beneath […]

Thoughts
6 Months
June 25, 2015

Some titles just write themselves, don’t they? Shortly after Sadie’s death, a woman came to us who had herself experienced the loss of a child by suicide. She said, “I count Wednesdays, you’re probably going to count Thursdays.” Sometimes Thursdays come and go unnoticed. Sometimes they make themselves known by a swelling in the chest […]

Thoughts
Lucy’s Dream
May 28, 2015

I dreamt that Sadie said she was back from her trip to heaven, she saw the stars, the beautiful light and green grass. Sadie said: “Do you want to come and see the stars Lucy?” I said, “We’re not allowed to, but maybe someday.”