Mary O'Connor

In his best selling book written in the 1970's Jerry Jampolsky maintains that we are either connecting with love or protecting ourselves with fear. He worked with hundreds of individuals who shared that their anger and resentments had blocked them from connecting with loved ones. Lacking forgiveness, people emotionally dissipated into a state of unhappiness. By continually forgiving, maintains Jampolsky, we are putting ourselves in a state of willingness to let go of worry about others'...

The main thing I have heard from the people I talk to is that grief comes in waves, and it is up to us to ride them. Something on TV, a card you come across, a memory that pops into your head, none of these experiences are overwhelming until they get coupled with a warm feeling about that person we miss. The warm feelings are the missing pieces in our lives. Loved ones leave us with an emptiness that feels physical at times. The experience of the gut-wrenching feeling of loss, along with...

The art of not saying anything is becoming more and more popular as a tool to the aging process. Whereas I used to think when someone told me some problem they were having they were looking for a solution and I was the nearest person available, so I should say something. I found that no, that isn't quite so. They may be just talking out loud so they can hear it themselves while they think of what to do next. Then there is the direct question, "What do you think I should do?" I have often...