A story of family
Tell me a story from your life that helps me understand an important aspect of your family.
:- Doug.
Archive for September, 2014
Your commitment to your father?
What is a story from your life that tells a little bit about your commitment to your father?
:- Doug.
A story of Dad
Tell me a story that will help me understand what your Dad’s situation today means to you, what your dad has meant to you in the recent past.
:- Doug.
Brought to us already aflame
Some fires we face were brought to us already aflame. Some come upon us with a stroke.
:- Doug.
Seeking an even larger view
I have felt best about my work when I sat with the man whose wife is in the nursing home and we pondered about how life changed in a stroke—literally—and how to respond to a daughter who is both in denial and meddling. And when I sit with small groups and get them to ponder about their own deaths and how they want to live up to the very last breath. And when I counsel with families about the struggles around being advocates for Mom or Dad with the nursing home staff.
Giving out my heart, even when my head does not know the answer, offering a hand.
These are larger views. I am struggling to find an even larger view, so that I can live my days contributing sacred work to a sacred world. And you?
:- Doug.
Footprints in the Windsm # 1453–The Truth Of The Day
Footprints in the Windsm # 1453
These jottings are only
The Truth Of The Day
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The question working me these days:
The question that is working me these days is this: what is the larger picture of my work in the world? There is a family view, and there is a societal view. Both are larger than my little how I get the job done, how I market myself.
We all have a view like the shopkeeper’s: The world is only what is inside the walls of this shop: the inventory, the suppliers, the customers we lure in; and the sidewalk and street outside.
So we see how we do our work, and how to get more customers into our lair. But there is a larger work. There are things we seek to do because it makes the world better.
:- Doug.
Engaging people, their world, for good
I converse. That is my work: engaging people in their world for good. Specifically for Mom and Dad facing difficulties thinking, getting along, staying healthy.
:- Doug.
feel good about your work?
What have you done recently that made you feel good about your work?
:- Doug.
To engage you in helping me reflect
The effort is to engage the person in helping me reflect, and so inviting this person to reflect too.
:- Doug.
No more elevator speeches
What do I do? I don’t know; I know less and less everyday. I used to try to come up with elevator speeches, but that is not me. (I am more reflective.)
:- Doug.
Highest aspirations
I am after motivations, especially highest aspirations. How do you want to see your mother treated now? What would you do if you could? What do you think your mother wants now?
:- Doug.
To see my work in the larger flow
I’m seeking to know what I do, to see my work in the larger flow. How do I have a deeper touch on the world’s spinning?
:- Doug.
Your relationship with your mom?
Growing up, what was your relationship to your mom? How has that developed over time?
:- Doug.
You are affected by Mom’s health
Reflection might start with getting people to see how they are affected by Mom’s or Dad’s health, by admitting their own vulnerable confusion and overwhelm, and finding their own role in the matter.
:- Doug.
a higher level and power
Reflection together is a higher level and power of conversation. It takes more exploration and work to get there.
:- doug.
Helping Dad care for Mom
I am helping Dad care for Mom, and still be able to eat and live at home. But more, I am helping families come to terms with each other and with Mom’s new normal.
In the community I am helping folks come to terms with their own deaths and preferences around that, and with getting families to come together. Especially in the sacred intimacy of strangers.
Beyond this my community work could get people reflecting together (T4) around What are our responsibilities to and for our elders?
:- Doug.
I get to ask, “How?”
I get to ask, “How?”
How do we care for Mom and Dad
When thinking becomes difficult?
Walking? Eating? Taking medicines?
I get to ask this of families
And of communities
:- Doug.
Living fields
Living fields
Humankind within
Working, learning, beautifying
Inventing the
Living fields
:- Doug.
