BRAVEHEARTS

“Count back from one hundred,” the anesthesiologist prompted me with the standard cue that ushers surgery patients into a safe oblivion.  In those split seconds before everything went blank I remember thinking, “It would be okay if I didn’t wake up.”  Wow.  Even as I write that sentence it is hard for me to believe that […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Grace, Gratitude, Healing, Illness, Sharon Hersh, Storms, substance abuse, Suffering

I went to a funeral on Friday for a man about my age.  The funeral was held at Fort Logan Cemetery — the burial site in Colorado for veterans.  I was impressed by the elegant, but simple pomp and circumstance — the salute of the gun-firing riflemen, the haunting honor of the trumpeting taps, and the precision folding […]

Tags: Addiction, alcoholism, Colorado, counselor, Death, Funeral, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse, Tough Love

BEFORE READING: Please know that my intention in writing the blog below was not to shame anyone.  Quite honestly I wrote this blog immediately after watching the 20/20 program and it practically wrote itself — without any checks in my spirit.  After receiving one email from a friend concerned that I was doing the same […]

Tags: Addiction, alcoholism, bob jones, Colorado, counselor, forgiveness, fundamentalists, Grace, legalism, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse, tina anderson, university

That love wins and God will not condemn anyone to eternal damnation A cell phone bill for under $30.00 Forgiveness An eye cream that erases dark circles Third, fourth, and even fifth chances Low-calorie comfort food that tastes good A real live person on the telephone who helps with cable or internet problems Unconditional, no-strings attached, […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Giving, Philanthropy, Sharon Hersh, substance abuser

Dating update for all you kind enough to ask:  I’ve had my first, awkward, anxiety-filled date.  It was not a match.  The second “opportunity” is this week! Today I went to a place called BridgeHouse.  It is a critical care unit for adults who require acute psychiatric care.  When I arrived I pushed a button […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Grace, Humanness, Jesus, Mental Illness, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse

I received over 100 responses to my last blog about my attempt to enter the dating world at 50!  Many of you wrote that you thought I was courageous, but most of you warned me to be cautious.  I want you all to know that I took notes on all of your comments and used […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Dating, Love, Relationships, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse

When I was in college the big event of the year was the Valentine’s Banquet.  It was the occasion that often marked the beginning of a dating relationship.  I had heard stories of upper-classwomen who had been asked to the banquet and knew from the moment their dates picked them up at their dorms, that they had met the […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Dating, Love, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse, Vulnerability

The smell of roasted turkey filled the house.  The island in the kitchen was covered with all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes — a mound of mashed potatoes with a dab of butter melting through the center, homemade stuffing crammed with bits of apples and walnuts, broccoli and rice casserole loaded with melted cheddar cheese […]

Tags: Addiction, Colorado, counselor, Sharon Hersh, substance abuse, Thanksgiving