Dear Nicholas, I’ve stumbled onto a new tactic that’s helping with head-clearing, when I can bring myself to use it. Rather than collecting lengthy to-do lists with items still not crossed off, I’ve adopted a new mantra: Let’s Take Care of It Now. I came to this after a writer client took out his checkbook […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Doc thinks I have the flu. So I’ve cancelled commitments for the next few days, which is to say I’ve let people down, six of them to be precise. That’s what has bothered me about this, messing with their plans, breaking my commitments,  even though I have been massively assured by each one […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, A commenter on a post of mine about dealing with death, The Age of Others Keeling Over, wrote, “Baby Boomer navel-gazing always astounds me.” I don’t think it’s navel-gazing to react to the increasing number, as one ages, of deaths of friends and family. However, she does have a point. I lead a […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Roughly a year ago I realized at a dramatic point that I was in the process of making a baffling turn–not by choice and not sure in what direction. Artsy-gorgeous environmental magazine Orion recently introduced me to the term bechira point: “an internal turning point, or ‘a moment of choice between continuing to act […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, The New Year got off to an unusual start for Bob and me: an Emergency Room trip, but one that quickly turned out well. After about five hours, they sent us home–and, appropriately, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with its “Ode to Joy” played on the radio for most of the drive. What Happened A […] Read More

Nicholas, Here’s my bookish version of a Christmas card: a troubled minister’s moment of respite on Christmas Eve, excerpted from my novel Revelation: The Christmas Eve service alone would be enough, Swain thinks, to keep me in the ministry. Troubles always go away, at least for that hour. Now the opening music and stirrings have passed. […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, Tomorrow at about 3 p.m. is the one-year anniversary of the moment when a Duke aorta surgeon came out to the waiting room and told me that Bob was alive but he didn’t know if he was going to wake up. Bob did wake up. Though he tires a lot more easily than he […] Read More

  Dear Nicholas,  A sharp-witted 95-year-old I know recently said with enthusiasm that what she really loves to do is eat and sleep. Her wonderfully thoughtful care-taking son Franc said, “I’m the same way.” I seem to lean a bit in that direction myself. I’m writing this on Saturday, when first I slept late, then […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I haven’t posted a #metoo or written before about the upwelling of sexual harassment accusations because I’ve never felt traumatized by the minor incidents in my life. However, recent news does stir my  memories and I have to get down one thing that happened long ago. Really, It Was Almost Funny Back when […] Read More

Dear Nicholas, I’ll lose some readers by admitting this. But not everything one emails to one’s psychotherapist is admirable. Here it is: I am fascinated by true crime stories (why would anyone do such a thing?)  And one of my first crucial morning questions to myself is: What’s the celebrity news today? In that second […] Read More