Yin And Yang

Last Saturday was a day of celebration and remembering for my family. We gathered in West Terre Haute, Indiana for a community walk commemorating the life of Emily Herrington, my mother-in-law, who passed away last October. A large group of friends, extended family, and community leaders joined us for the event, which benefitted causes close…

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Suffering Is A Personal Thing

On most Sundays, I watch Sunday Morning, a CBS news magazine that began long ago with Charles Kuralt, the great chronicler of back road America, as its first host. I’ve loved and watched the show for more than three decades, and this morning, I caught a thoughtful piece about Kathy Bates, the actress from Fried…

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A Grand Grand Rounds

I participated in a panel discussion of Atul Gawande’s book, “Being Mortal” at my hospital today.  It was an honor to be asked, and to participate with several community physicians, and a nurse.  In the audience were physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and community citizens who were interested.  The discussion was lively, centered around the…

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Three Chords And The Truth

With the passing of Merle Haggard yesterday, I’ve been thinking a lot about my love of country music, and what that genre may have to teach us all a little more about life.  My parents were born in the Virginia hill country and loved country music, which spoke to them about the problems in their…

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