Thoughtful Times

Writing this book is my way of sharing what I’ve learned in the course of my life on earth—some very unique life experiences and some most of us have in common. I believe it’s this information that ought to be shared more freely by all of us, to enable the creation of better ways than wars and prejudices to take care of personal and collective interests and responsibilities.

It’s not possible to make life improvements unless we fully own what is and isn’t working well. It’s also not possible to obtain and provide needed help unless we share what assistance is lacking and available. As a favorite professor insisted at the start of every class, “Our sickness is revealed in our secrets—we must uncover and study what we keep so well hidden before it’s possible to cure it.”

There are two rules essential to assuring this sharing is productive and non-hurtful. Those key rules are truthfulness and kindness. The stories in this book represent what happens when these rules are well applied and when they aren’t, to encourage careful management of all interactions so that all participants are treated with due respect. There are chapters, as well, that encourage better understanding and use of human emotions and behavior generally.

Mary Lax RN, BS, MA

Single mom of five daughters and three sons

(Retired) psychiatric nurse-therapist

Psychologist

Homesteader

Fine-art repro artist

Cello student

I live and work in far north scenic Minnesota with my dog buddy, Akio. My major feat this past year, other than publishing this book, was surviving the worst winter ever—when all that could possibly go wrong did. I’ve concluded my backwoods lifestyle was easier and safer when I lived even farther up north in a bare-bones primitive house I built myself. But, possibly, that’s because I was younger then and better equipped physically to handle brutal conditions. (I do intend to install a woodstove in my current modern well-built house, however, before next winter.)