Content Warning: Discussion of Bullying, Emotional, Physical, and Sexual Child Abuse

My Mindful Response to Overcoming Childhood Abuse

If you’re an adult man or woman living in the U.S. or any Western country today, chances are your upbringing was influenced by some peer abuse.

As a boy or a girl, you were likely a bystander, a perpetrator, or a victim of some bullying.

There was a time when George and I were growing up in California in the ’60s and ’70s; such behavior was dismissed with phrases like “boys will be boys” or “she is just a playground bully.” That’s no longer the case. Denial is a common and self-protective coping mechanism that many men and women adopt in early adulthood. While we may […]

Everyone assured me that my grief would ease after a year, but it only intensified.

I couldn’t help but wonder—was there something wrong with me?

On January 5, 2022, profound sorrow and a great sadness enveloped my life, leaving me silent for a long time. I withdrew from social interactions, rarely seeing anyone except during brief encounters at the local grocery store or on an occasional walk with Aspen. When I did cross paths with someone, a polite hug might be exchanged, but words were scarce. Being around others was challenging for me. I feared that any conversation might rip open the fragile scab over my wounded heart.

We all experience the loss of loved ones throughout our lives. For most, time eventually […]