At first, I wondered where the squirrel was heading in such a hurry. Then I gasped as she was nearing the top of the fifty-foot-tall oak and leaped to what looked like a very thin branch. My interest heightened when another squirrel came racing up the tree, making it...
Tom Adams
Tom Adams — what we offer to readers on this topic...
See our Resource Pages for additional information on each topic.
Room for All – Black History and Valentine’s
Our family has begun having intergenerational zoom discussions about justice and equity. We cross-pollinate with in-laws and cousins from our partners’ families which makes the conversations particularly rich. My wife’s niece talked about the struggles a mid-west art...
The Long View: Showing Up Consistently for “Justice for All”
“Democracy prevailed.” – These words spoken on Inauguration Day by our new president, Joe Biden, offered us hope. Indeed, January 20th was a great day for those of us who are hoping for change. President Biden, Vice President Harris and three former presidents filled...
America’s Crisis – Many Views, Many Hopes
What the hell is going on? How did it happen? What needs to be done? What’s mine to do? “I don’t know” is the most honest answer. America is facing critical questions that deserve more than superficial, simple theories and quick fixes to return to the appearance of...
More on Hope
And we thought 2021 might be different than 2020? Now we all have two never-would-have-imagined experiences – a pandemic and an armed insurrection. It is a good thing we are hopeful people! This week we continue our focus on hope. I am delighted to share reflections...
Hope for 2021: Wishful thinking?
I imagine we all are hoping for a better 2021! In my town of Greenbelt, Maryland, we marked the ending of the tumultuous 2020 by all going outside at midnight on New Year’s Eve to bang pots and pans. Not a new idea, yet very therapeutic and symbolic of the feeling of...
Out of chaos: lessons on faith from Twelve Step pioneers
We need to believe in something other than our own intellect and abilities. This awareness led the pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) to the liberating and empowering notion of a “power greater than ourselves – a Higher Power.” Today we explore this second key...
Order out of chaos: Lessons from Twelve Step pioneers
We need each other. We need to believe in something other than our own intellect and ability. These are two of the fundamental beliefs that allowed Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Family Groups and other Twelve Step programs to grow and flourish. These two concepts...
Holidays during a pandemic: when do comfort escapes become addictions?
In normal times, holidays bring parties and opportunities to gather with family and friends. Accompanying these opportunities is often a tremendous array of food and drink. For many, overeating or drinking to excess is simply a momentary expression of...
Coronavirus and Addictions: So Different?
In Netflix movies, our news media and our personal lives, we all, more than likely, have seen the destructive power of addiction. Today in America, we’re also seeing the destructive power of the Coronavirus pandemic. Like with the pandemic, we're tempted to think of...