Welcome To Our World

First of all, Pat and I would like to welcome all of you to our new website, dedicated to our recently published book, When The Psychology Professor Met The Minister. Maybe you stopped by because you enjoyed reading our book and wanted to find out more about our story. Maybe you stopped by because you want to continue to embrace critical thinking skills to find or discover your truth in the context of our unique and transformative journey. Regardless of why you are here, we are glad you are here. So welcome!

Our plan is to use this space to share our life experiences, musings and other interesting events that have allowed our relationship to continue to evolve. We are also going to offer perspectives that will hopefully give those who read our blogs new ideas to navigate a world that presents with seemingly never ending challenges. We will write when the spirit fills us with awe for life and the teachings that can be discovered in every corner of the universe. Our blog is dedicated to the grieving parents who have graced both Pat and I with their stories and presence. Our blog is also dedicated to my students whose presence, validation and love give me a reason to teach and continue to grow every day. Our blog also gives Pat an opportunity to continue sharing her sacred path with both honor and integrity.

The Significance of March 1

On March 1st of this year, we went public with our story. Many of you already know about the significance of this date, as it relates to my personal story. On that day in 2003, my 18 year old daughter Jeannine died of a rare form cancer which turned my world upside down. That date is also significant for Pat, because her mother was born on 3/1/31. So our book was also released on her 90th birthday. We both chose that date so that we could recognize the importance of their significance in our lives. Honoring those both living and who have transitioned to a new existence is the key to remembering our roots, honoring our ancestors and developing relationships based on pure love. We honor those living and dead, by being tethered to our memories of them, and never forgetting their importance. Relationships are forever.

The Significance of Rainbows

You may wonder why we chose a rainbow as the featured image for our first blog. For starters, a rainbow is what first brought Pat and I together. We had initially met through a phone conversation on August 25,2010 when I helped her register for a grief conference in Oneida, New York. When we met at the conference, Pat told me she felt the presence of my daughter Jeannine when a brilliant rainbow appeared on Route 17 in Upstate New York approximately nine days later. Pat’s rainbow sighting was one in a series of serendipitous events that brought me to Long Island, where she guided me through an incredible spiritually transformative experience. That experience allowed me to see myself as more than a “bereaved parent.” Eventually I was able with Pat’s support and encouragement to embrace a perspective that allowed me to find peace with my daughter’s passing, and look at life, death and life after death differently. The rainbow in our picture was taken by Pat outside the Faculty Center building at Utica College prior to a presentation she made to my Death, Dying and Bereavement class. Six months later, Pat finally agreed to collaborate with me on a book about our story and our relationship.

We also want to leave you with this final thought :

“There is clarity and hope that can be found when you see beyond our existence through the prism of the rainbow, particularly during troubled times.”