Monthly Archives: February 2011

If I see my role as healer–

If I see my role as healer—
it means I listen more
I hope it means I hear more
for more is in these hearts
ready to come to voice
from coeur can come spreading
roots, engaging roots,
living roots, desiring more life:
family become whole
—If I encourage these to hear, maybe this
family becomes whole

:- Doug.

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What is my work as a lawyer?

What is my work as a lawyer? I am getting the inkling it is about whole-making, about bringing the family of humankind to a larger wholeness, completeness, fullness. It is not about solving problems but about living life.

:- Doug.

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We are not broken

Of course people come to us lawyers with problems, but they do not want to be here. I want to turn the coin over and look at what can we do to make wholeness. Let’s reel in toward wholeness, let’s not fix what’s broken. We are people, we are not broken, we are growing all the time.

:- Doug.

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The conversation of law

I practice the conversation of law.

:- Doug.

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If meaning in life/is direction of days

If meaning in life
is direction of days
we can be here now
for destination is not assured
but
each now we choose our heading

We think the person with Alzheimer’s
slips away from us sadly
but could he, could she
find meaning in a happy day
wholeness in a happy moment
holding your hand?

:- Doug.

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But no simpler

Make your Estate Planning as simple as possible—but no simpler.

:- Doug.

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Living life alone

How does one live life, alone,
Without another to share?
How does one await death?
And yet, awaiting death
Is not the object of our years,
But living the moments,
Giving the moments.
One must find,
Or let one’s self be found by,
Or invent our way to
Love, live, engage.

:- Doug.

Posted in Death and dying, Eldering, Grieving, Poetry | Leave a comment

Larger than the law

The world is larger than the law
Than medicine and finance all
These speak not or too seldom of—
The widower’s lostness and having no one to call home
Eight year olds chasing away from casket
White chickens and red wheel barrows
The engendering of our kind
Hugs and tears and awkward words
Flower beds that won’t get tended this year

:- Doug.

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Healing in nursing homes

What is healing in the nursing home? What is whole-making for an elder?

:- Doug.

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Explore this mystery

Explore this mystery
at work in families & life:
the wholeness we can bring
by simply hearing one another

:- Doug.

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I work toward family wholeness.

I work toward family wholeness.

:- Doug.

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The proper work of this lawyer

It is the proper work of this lawyer to invite people to grow human together. The classic professions were medicine, helping humans with their relationship to their bodies, clergy, helping humans with their relationship to their God, and law, helping  humans with their relationship to their fellows. This is the classical work of a lawyer.

:- Doug.

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Who a Will is for:

A Will is first for the Testatrix, second for the beneficiary. The Testatrix needs to have its flexibility: the ability to amend and change as her picture of her family and its future unfolds. A Will is for the living.

:- Doug.

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carrying loves and packages

I am carrying loves and packages
As I walk along
If I fall
Who shall pick these up
And how
Will they love and carry
To their destinations?

:- Doug.

Posted in Death and dying, Estates Administration & Probate, Poetry | Leave a comment

I help pick up the pieces

I help pick up the pieces
Find a home for the pieces
Where do you want the pieces
Of your life to find homes?
I am your Estate

I’m the salvager
The stitcher and mender
I’m your Estate

:- Doug.

Posted in Estates Administration & Probate, Family, Poetry | Leave a comment

Death ends a work…

Death—
Ends a work
Starts a work
Life continues
Stops our tracks
Brings up histories
Makes room
Dumps good with bad
Throws us together
Raises questions of peace, justice, love
How shall we together?
Or shall we?

:- Doug.

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The With-nesses of Long-Term Care:

The With-nesses of Long-Term Care:
Disease partakes of the It
Sickness has me
Illness has us
Still, we can have the Healing

:- Doug.

Posted in Family, Healing and Wholeness, Long-Term Care, Poetry | Leave a comment