Wisdom of the Wounded

Guest post by Sue Would you know what to say if a friend shared that she was experiencing domestic violence? When someone you care about opens about her abusive situation, here are some recommended responses that help her know you want to help:  “I believe you.” One of the best ways to demonstrate your support […]

Guest post by  Sue What do you say to someone when she reveals that she is being abused? Anyone with a compassionate heart will feel strong emotions when hearing this news. While speaking to a domestic violence victim is best done by speaking from your heart, be sure that your emotions don’t cause you to […]

Debbie was a stay-at-home mom of four young boys when her husband passed away unexpectedly. At 35, she was thrust into widowhood. “In an instant, my worst fear became my reality. An unchangeable reality,” writes Debbie, in this blog post. Debbie, who is a fitness coach, recalls the weeks immediately following her husband’s death as […]

Submitted by: Lisa Barker The following story is from Lisa, who offers advice from her own experience of a month-long stay in a hospital. Lisa says, “After gallbladder removal surgery, at the age of twenty-five years old I was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare liver condition. Within eighteen hours I was in liver, kidney, and […]

Nearly two decades ago, Afton DeVos was a healthy, active 17-year-old girl when she discovered a tennis-ball-sized lump on her neck one morning during her high school’s Christmas break. “It developed overnight,” she says. Afton was diagnosed with Stage 3-B Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This type of cancer is highly treatable, “so I wasn’t necessarily fearful for […]

I was fortunate to know my great grandparents, to be loved by them, and for them to be a part of my life. My great grandpa was taken too soon from Alzheimer’s when I was younger, but my grandma was here physically with us until my third year of college. My great grandma Winnie was […]

Do you want your life to be filled with any of the following? peace joy an increased ability to love and be loved a rare happiness and satisfaction a profound sense of fulfillment Most of us would answer, “Yes!” In his book, The Rhythm of Life, author Matthew Kelly states that if you follow his […]

by Larry Mulder I’m in my 74th year and until a couple of weeks ago I’ve been pretty much of a failure at prayer. Then I came upon a wafer thin book by Ann Lamott entitled, Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers.  Ann writes that there are three simple, yet powerful prayers we can […]

Marilyn, a Wisdom of the Wounded reader wrote to us and shared this unique story of a nest that isn’t quite empty but still requires an adjustment: I have four children; three of them left the house within 13 months. My daughter married in 2015…that wasn’t so bad, just an adjustment because I still had […]

When there is a loss, some people process the loss within themselves.  They do not want to talk about it.  So how do you care for someone who is grieving a significant loss but does not want to talk about his or her feelings and struggles? When Laura’s dog Lacey died, the loss was very […]