Nguhi Mwaura interviewed Anna Sale, who just released Let's Talk About Hard Things, eliciting this insight on hard conversations:
"writing this book has made me realize what I can hope for from a hard conversation, and what I can’t.
For example, when I want to comfort someone in grief, I still feel the urge and wish to be able to say something that would lift the pain of loss, but I am more clear that I can’t do that. Words can’t do that. But what I can do is express care, tell them I'm so sorry, offer what I remember about the person who’s gone.
Hard conversations don’t fix hard things. But stepping towards them can make us feel less alone while we move through hard things."
When I was in Canmore last summer I found myself in awe of the mountains, the wildlife, and the weather…pretty much all the time.
Now that I'm back home in Toronto, awe takes a little conjuring. Psyche has a guide to how to tuning into moments of potential awe.
As someone who grew up on a flower farm and spent my mornings pouring over flower catalogs while I ate breakfast before school, it’s surprising to find myself stunned by the sheer variety of tulips and daffodils in Toronto’s yards. It’s good motivation to look a little closer and remind myself just how much there is to discover about things I think I already know.
What’s brought you to a feeling of awe recently?
My last therapist charged $125 an hour, which was a reasonable rate for New York and is also not particularly affordable. The Open Path Therapy Collective charges a much more accessible $30 to $80 per session.
I'm passing on a recommendation, so feel free to tell me how things go.
The Georgia Institute of Technology Center for Inclusive Tech Design & Innovation is having a webinar on what people with disabilities should consider about the covid vaccine. It's free and you can register on eventbright.
If you’re in Canada, the CRA has a webinar on the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) on May 25th. They have other webinars coming up that may also be of interest, including for seniors and people with disabilities. You can register on their not-very-user-friendly site.
Cori, your post comes at a time in my life - right now - when I have to make two difficult phone calls offering condolences to friends on the loss of their husbands. I know I can't make it "better" nor would I offer the old platitudes of, "time will heal," or "be strong," or "he's in a better place" or or or - well, you know what they might be. I shall tell them how very much I care and also feel the loss. And I will understand that I am doing my best and that is the most comforting words my friends need to hear at this time.