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GROK's the Word

Grok-a-bye-Baby

There truly is no way to prepare yourself for having kids. Prior to giving birth to my daughter Audrey, in my futile attempt to prepare for the unpreparable, (an excellent parenting book title) I p...

Celebrating Mourning

On a recent vacation in a Mexican village, I was surprised to find myself in the midst of a community in mourning. Two days before I came, a 21-year-old girl had died in a car accident. Everyone in...

Got Empathy?

In Nonviolent Communication, when we teach empathy we often begin with the following phrase “Are you feeling (insert feeling guess) because you’re needing (insert guess)? Students of NVC know that ...

Observation as Liberation

Of the four components of Nonviolent Communication, I find observation to be the most challenging and at the same time, the most liberating. When I’m describing an observable fact, then I’m not jud...

Practicing Peace: The Language of Liberation

Sitting on my cushion before sunrise, I listen to the Pacific Ocean breaking against the shore and seals barking the day awake. The seashore is a constant reminder of the emotions coursing through ...

The Jackal Train to Freedom

Several days ago, I wrote an email to my sister letting her know I would be in town and asking her if we could get together. Today an email arrived replying that she would be leaving that particula...

Empathy the Hard Way

I work in a minimum security womens facility that is more like a college dormitory than a jail. The women take classes in life skills, parenting, substance abuse, knitting, and Nonviolent Communica...