Why

Why I would create this blog and write about myself is a valid line of inquiry, especially as the contents here are intensely personal and the result of much rending of garments and gnashing of teeth.  I take my chances in writing about my own suffering, that my writing may be dismissed as narcissism (who care what I am going through?), or be diminished because my suffering pales in comparison to that of others (I'm not a victim of a terrorist attack, not among the 2/7ths of the world population living on less than $2 per day, not dying of a common but treatable health condition, not starving to death), or be judged by my colleagues and friends as inferior or unlucky, or perhaps simply ignored as part of the overall internet background noise.

I published these writings anyway because I am on a spiritual journey and the experiences in the last several years of my life have set my feet down firmly on this path.  I also know that I am not alone.  Everyone has experienced loss and love even though some may deny one or both of these experiences for themselves.  We arrive in a world that requires that we suffer.  Accepting this fact helps recognize the humanity in everyone around us. The more subtle feature is that we are also surrounded by love, peering back at us gently through the dark nights and the great tempests that brand us and sear our hearts.  If that message reaches one reader, this blog has served its purpose.