Why are People so Messy? Have you noticed that some people appear to be happiest when they are causing chaos? I see this often when I am interacting with a large group. Whether from their own feelings of inadequacies, a place of deep sadness or whether they just want to be hurtful, some people seem … Continue reading Find Your Joy
The Most Vulnerable Ones
January is Child Sex Trafficking Awareness month. Child Sex trafficking Let those words sink in for a moment. The very composition of those three words written together causes us to react in very different ways: disbelief, resignation or determination. The media portrays CST through the narrative of international intrigue. Innocent teenagers are abducted, flown to … Continue reading The Most Vulnerable Ones
Sweetie-Pie
Growing up in a rural Mississippi town, in the early 1960s, I had no concept of "stranger-danger". Kids played outside all day with their only parental admonition being, "you'd better be in this house when the street lights come on!" My brothers and I were part of a street pack of kids who spent each … Continue reading Sweetie-Pie
The Hypocrite
Here I am again: this is me...the Pot calling out the Kettle. Last week I wrote about loving yourself; accepting yourself; making time for the things that bring you joy. I write those things because self-care is such an important concept for those in the helping profession. Without it, we crash and burn. We leave … Continue reading The Hypocrite
Resolute
Yesterday was the day. The day for introspection. On January 1st, we take a critical look at our experiences spanning the preceding 12 months. Judge and jury, we weigh the good along with the bad and all too often our focus falls on the bad... We gained weight. We didn't exercise like we should have. … Continue reading Resolute
The boy in the Basement
Unpublished (c) A. Lacy 2019 I have been working on a novel for a few years. As an exercise in returning to what I love, I have picked it up again. Instead of telling myself I had no time, I am making time for something that I love, which is writing. I've included an excerpt … Continue reading The boy in the Basement
Being Thankful is not Enough
November sped by like a bullet train. I have been so busy; caught up in the hampster wheel of my career and my personal life that I blinked and almost missed it. And now...Thanksgiving is in a few days. The beginning of the holiday season that brings such joy to some and such loneliness for … Continue reading Being Thankful is not Enough
Blinding Yourself
Discovering the Greek tragedies in high school, I enjoyed the intense emotionally charged storylines. The story of Oedipus particularly intrigued me. Although warned that his path would lead to tragedy, Oedipus, blinded by his own hubris, ignored the warnings and proceeded on his ill- fated journey. When he later realized that his figurative blindness led … Continue reading Blinding Yourself
Dangerous Opportunity
When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. John F. Kennedy. We all face crisis: in our career, in our personal life, in relationships. Crisis can seem debilitating at times. And for some, it is. In the throngs of crisis, we experience those … Continue reading Dangerous Opportunity
The Better to Hear You…
We all know the story of Red Riding Hood and her encounter with the Big Bad Wolf posing as her grandmother. "Why Grandma, what big ears you have". "The better to hear you with, my dear". Big Bad, salivating at the thought of this sweet snack before him, knew the best way to convince her … Continue reading The Better to Hear You…
Water for Camels 