family healing
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My Daugher’s Pain
Sharing the link to my poem “My Daughter’s Pain” from my poetry book “Mystic Mourn” (Carnelian Press, 2015) recently published in Edge of Humanity magazine. Many thanks to the editor, Joelcy Kay. And a gigantic hug to my beloved daughter, who said it was okay for me to post this publicly. Continue reading
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Making Peace with my Namesake
I have been feeling a call to return to Scotland for a few years. This is because of some unfinished business I know I had with this land. Business that is ancestral, in part. And also having to do with my relationship with the place I was named for – the Isle of Skye. A Continue reading
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A STRANGE KIND OF MILESTONE
By the time you will read this, I will pass a very significant milestone. Well, two. One is my 65th birthday – which I am proud to admit to. The second is outliving my father, who died just short of his 65th birthday: thirty-eight years ago. His name was James Stephenson, and during the course Continue reading
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SWIMMING THE HUDSON
A former colleague named Steve will soon be swimming around Manhattan Island. Steve was born the same day as my father. March 29th, so during the years we worked together I always remembered his birthday. Except that my father left this world years before I met Steve. My relationship with my father was complicated. He Continue reading
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Violets, Weeding and Fear
This year, violets have overtaken my garden. From just a few in one area of my garden last year I now find these seemingly dainty plants with their heart shaped leaves throughout my garden. I have learned that they spread by rhizomes, or underground roots. I started gardening only a few years ago and still Continue reading
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THE ANCESTORS
Who are the Ancestors? We are arriving at that time of the year when the ancestors are especially close to us, according to many spiritual traditions and cultural practices. Whether as Dia de los Muertos, as it is known in Mexico and throughout Latin America, or Halloween as it is called in places with stronger Continue reading
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RETELLING OUR STORIES
Stories – personal and collective – have so much power. The stories that we tell about ourselves and about our families and communities can move us towards healing, or away from it. Because of the power of these stories, a power we are too often unaware of, most of us have tales that are untold, Continue reading
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Slouching towards Love
The title of this article has arrived to me and yet as I begin to write I am not sure how it will unfold. A few hours ago I had a different idea for this column in mind, but after a heart to heart conversation with a family member on a challenging topic, “love” entered Continue reading
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That Dark Place
Robin Williams’ suicide has touched many of us and the familiar Parrish Shoe sign has become a shrine of sorts to his life and legacy. My favorite role of his was as Patch Adams, a doctor who found out that making his patients laugh was a very healing thing to do. It is ironic that Continue reading
SKYE stephenson 