He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” –John 11:45 (1) (Re)birth I am waiting. I am waiting in a waiting room. I am waiting in a waiting room until the event which I am waiting for happens and begins. One year, I am looking at a drip. A... Read more
St. Jude, patron of lost causes, pray for us sick pilgrims. A common practice in southern Louisiana is to bury a statue of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, upside-down in the front lawn of a house that is for sale. Because of his role as protector of the household of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, St. Joseph’s intercession is believed to expedite the selling process. There is even a WikiHow page with helpful illustrations that gives a step-by-step guide.... Read more
“Do you recognize that as self-harm?” the therapist asks me at the tail end of my extended hour and half visit. “This tendency you have adopted to ratchet up the stress level and the expectations of the things you enjoy most in life until they hurt you?” I tumble that around in my head for the days and weeks after as I plunge into the darkness of grief, filling my lungs with its inky wetness. It is the anniversary of... Read more
As a paranormal mystery writer, I’m often ask why my books are so bloody and scary. Why, they wonder, am I so fascinated and seemingly obsessed with dead bodies? Can’t I write about something more cheery and happy? Indeed, many people think that my book shelves are lined with horror novels and stories of the macabre. The reality is, my literary fascination for dead bodies comes from reading murder mysteries and not horror books. If I’m pressed, I would say... Read more
For the past few days, my Facebook feed has been filled with video of the Cincinnati Zoo incident. A young boy climbed through the barriers and fell into the gorilla enclosure. Harambe the Gorilla dragged the child all over the compound. Zoo officials were forced to shoot the endangered animal to protect the child. As a parent of three kids, I could barely stand to watch the animal drag the little boy around the enclosure. I wanted to jump... Read more
An Ignatian Contemplation* on a Reading from the Gospel According to Luke (9:11B – 17), In Medias Res Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing over them, broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets. As they begin to hand it out – the five loaves and... Read more
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” ― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice Instead of being swallowed by our often-shadowy outlook, we sick pilgrims know it’s important, every now and then, to focus on the little things that bring us great joy. Okay maybe not great joy. Small joy? I hijacked this feature from Jess, who normally takes charge of this regular post, this small glimmer of rejuvenation in the typically... Read more
By now, everyone has seen the video of Chewbacca woman, the lady who buys a cheap Chewbacca mask and laughs hysterically at its absurdity. This video has gone uber viral and many people on my Facebook feed talked about how it brought them joy. I’ll be honest, my first reaction when I watched the video was a cynical sneer. This woman seemed, at least to me, to be demeaning herself in front of the world. She should have more self... Read more
Note: May 21 is Friedreich’s Ataxia Awareness Day. Part of me is afraid that I share about my disability too much. I don’t want to be typecast as someone who only writes about his disability. However, it is the lens through which I see, every second of every day. To write personally and meaningfully, I have to mention it. FA is the elephant in my writer’s corner, and I will not pretend it isn’t there. I will stare that pitiful... Read more
I’m seeing a healer. The woman works out of an office where she officially does something else, something totally unrelated to healthcare or spirituality, I’m not even sure what. I’m not even sure how I got here, except that a friend who goes to my church saw something in me that needed healing, and I didn’t argue. There’s so much in me that needs healing, and at this point I’d seek out a witch in a hut made of chicken... Read more
Sick Pilgrim
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In