By Sean Grover, LCSW A Parable… Once upon a time, there was a lost man who carried around a basket of troubles and wandered the land calling out,“Who will help me with my basket of troubles?” Many pitied him, some laughed at him, but no one helped him. Then one day a king passing by […]
The Volcano in Our Backyard In the 1970’s my parents fell in love with throwing big outdoor theme parties for friends and family. The aftermath of their parties filled our backyard with oddities which included a twenty foot tall fiberglass Cleopatra (harvested from the 1964 World’s Fair – don’t ask), a collection of enormous rubber […]
A Father’s Day Memory “Wrap the extension cord around the gutter and tie a knot!” My father cups his hands and hollers into the wind. “Be careful! Don’t drop the bulbs! They’re expensive!” I inch toward the icy edge of the roof and think for a moment. “What about me? Am I expensive?” I lower […]
Understanding Yoga Here’s a secret that none of my patients know: in the past, I sat through sessions with an ice-pack or heating pad strapped to my lower back, discreetly tucked under my suit jacket. A back injury had made it difficult for me to sit for any length of time. As a psychotherapist, I […]
Derek & the Ice Cream Cone Derek is painfully aware he’s poor. Forced to wear worn out sneakers and jeans, he’s often the subject of ridicule wherever he goes, particularly when he delivers newspapers to the wealthy part of town. And it’s not just teasing by other kids; even the adults in that neighborhood snicker […]
Misfortune In-Action There’s a farmers’ market in Union Square park just down the street from my office. Every Saturday, it springs to life with shiny red apples, bright green peppers, homemade cakes and pies, potted plants and fresh-cut flowers. The eager crowds greedily gobble up the market’s offerings like children on Christmas morning. I’m searching […]
A Short Guide to Happiness When I was about 10 years old I often went fishing with a family friend, Old Mickey. I guess he was “Old Mickey” because no matter what his age, he always seemed old. To me, Old Mickey was the spitting image of Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen. He was […]
