Full Circle: A Story of Hope

Introducing Debbie, a woman in her early thirties, happily married and running her own successful catering business. The youngest in a close-knit family of five, Debbie’s wisdom is respected by her siblings and her counsel sought by them frequently despite her being...

Dead Man Walking

My husband and I recently attended the opera Dead Man Walking, based on the bestselling book by Sister Helen Prejean. It’s the story of the relationship between Sister Helen and Joe de Rocher, convicted of brutally killing two young people in rural Mississippi, as he...

No One Brings a Casserole

Abbie and Mike adopted Joshua (not their real names) when he was two months old, a charming African American baby, “a sweetie-pie,” Abbie remembers. They were informed that his birth mother had used cocaine during pregnancy and that his birth father was incarcerated...

Faces of Addiction

Recently I met with two women to plan a program on families and addiction.  I’ve worked with both of these people before on similar programs, but this meeting was different.  This time they were talking about themselves and their respective adult sons, both of whom...

Hidden in Plain Sight

You’d like Lynn (not her real name).  She’s friendly, fun, and bright – also a talented and accomplished leader, having worked her way up the ladder in the field of philanthropic fundraising.  Her resume lists exactly the kinds of experience a recruiter wants to see,...