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Relating to others is not only a powerful crucible for personal growth but our most important and omnipresent activity in life. Relationships virtually define human life, as our interrelatedness is what makes life both possible and worth living. The quality and conduct of our relationships fill the entire range from loving and nourishing to damaging and even dangerous. Connecting with others is what we both covet and fear most. Quite a vessel for growth, indeed.

So naturally the relationships in my life have offered countless opportunities for deep learning. I will relate some of these experiences in On Just Being when a story is particularly meaningful to my pursuit. I will also respect the privacy of others, and my own as well, and be judicious about what I pass along. Some basics:

I am the second of six siblings, three brothers and three sisters, all from the same parents who remained married till death did they part, Dad in 1999, Mom in 2006. My birth family has always been a source of strength and comfort, notwithstanding inevitable family misfortunes, difficulties and disagreements. We siblings remain close to this day. I am extremely fortunate in this arena of life.

I am married and have one adult daughter from a former marriage, the person on this earth I am most deeply bonded to. I also have two adult stepchildren with whom I am very close. All three of our children are happily married to spouses I admire and cherish. Each couple has two kids – six grandchildren! Aged two to twelve years old as I write in late 2021, they are a source of joy and amazement too profound to adequately express in a few words. My cup truly runneth over in my family life, and I count my blessings for that every day.

I had a son from my first marriage who died in an accident in 2002 at the age of 34. I also lost a step-daughter in an accident in 1992 at the age of 19. The losses of these two truly exceptional young adult children were, needless to say, devastating, and they remain deeply painful. And while both of these deaths were occasions, in fact demands, for accelerated personal growth, I would obviously give them back in a heartbeat. There are many ways to grow that do not involve such profound suffering. But when such tragedy does strike, you either open up or you close down. That’s the choice. Maintaining status quo is off the table.

Relating to others is not only a powerful crucible for personal growth but our most important and omnipresent activity in life. Relationships virtually define human life, as our interrelatedness is what makes life both possible and worth living. The quality and conduct of our relationships fill the entire range from loving and nourishing to damaging and even dangerous. Connecting with others is what we both covet and fear most. Quite a vessel for growth, indeed.

So naturally the relationships in my life have offered countless opportunities for deep learning. I will relate some of these experiences in On Just Being when a story is particularly meaningful to my pursuit. I will also respect the privacy of others, and my own as well, and be judicious about what I pass along. Some basics:

I am the second of six siblings, three brothers and three sisters, all from the same parents who remained married till death did they part, Dad in 1999, Mom in 2006. My birth family has always been a source of strength and comfort, notwithstanding inevitable family misfortunes, difficulties and disagreements. We siblings remain close to this day. I am extremely fortunate in this arena of life.

I am married and have one adult daughter from a former marriage, the person on this earth I am most deeply bonded to. I also have two adult stepchildren with whom I am very close. All three of our children are happily married to spouses I admire and cherish. Each couple has two kids – six grandchildren! Aged two to twelve years old as I write in late 2021, they are a source of joy and amazement too profound to adequately express in a few words. My cup truly runneth over in my family life, and I count my blessings for that every day.

I had a son from my first marriage who died in an accident in 2002 at the age of 34. I also lost a step-daughter in an accident in 1992 at the age of 19. The losses of these two truly exceptional young adult children were, needless to say, devastating, and they remain deeply painful. And while both of these deaths were occasions, in fact demands, for accelerated personal growth, I would obviously give them back in a heartbeat. There are many ways to grow that do not involve such profound suffering. But when such tragedy does strike, you either open up or you close down. That’s the choice. Maintaining status quo is off the table.