The library

Encouragement

The Key to Connection Part 1: Grief

by David Achata Grief is a universal language. Yet, are we forgetting how to speak it in our positivity-obsessed world? What if I told you that grief was a key for connection? We all experience loss, moments that leave us raw and exposed. Caring for my mother as...

The Key to Connection Part 2: Lament

by David Achata This is the second in a four-part series. To read Part 1, click here. We live in a culture that promises certainty with good effort and planning. We chase achievements, build elaborate safety nets, and believe we can navigate life’s storms with sheer...

The Key to Connection Part 3: Tears

by David Achata This is the 3rd reflection in a 4-part series. To read parts one or two, click here: 1, 2 In my deepest wound I saw your glory and it dazzled me. – St. Augustine Many years ago I went to the desert to weep. The pain was suffocating. Fresh from the loss...

The Key To Connection Part 4: Touch

By David Achata This is the 4th reflection in a 4-part series. To read previous reflections, click here: 1, 2, or 3. Have you ever had a conversation with someone you love, only to feel like you’re talking in circles? Your words lose their power, and connection slips...

Perfectly Safe

by Chris Klausen Earlier this week, a Facebook memory surfaced in my timeline along with a picture I took back in 2016: my husband in his grey herringbone hoodie and our labradoodle, Anja, peacefully dozing on our living room couch. At first glance, the memory...