Tom Adams
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Donald Trump was elected to office in 2024, months after Tom and I relocated to Durham. We were immediately challenged to participate in activities resisting the administration’s abuse of power and racist policies. Our daughter lives locally and connected us with an amazing network of volunteers and organizations committed to preserving our democracy.
In December, our monthly Racial Justice Conversation focused on the current, abominable mistreatment of immigrants and refugees in the United States. Anna Gallagher, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), offered a powerful...
The Sunday before Christmas, my extended family gathered for a holiday meal and gift exchange to celebrate the season together. My sister has hosted this event since my Mom and Dad became physically unable to do so. My Mom and Dad were in their late 80s when they passed and had hosted our family gathering for over 60 years. That is a lot of tradition—and a lot of love—handed down.
How ‘often’ do we ask ourselves a question that begins with the phrase, “In These Perilous Times”? For me, it seems like ‘often’ has been repeating itself, well – quite often for the last several years. Earlier this month, my wife and I decided to give ourselves a short break from the constant barrage of ‘breaking news’ in our DC perilous environment and attend a day-long meditation retreat.
This time of year often brings my faith journey into new perspective—or shows me where I’m still stuck. Usually both. Today I want to share how this season of light has opened me again to hope, imagination, and trust, even when the world offers plenty of reasons to doubt.
In my earlier post, I wrote about how living in Spain has shown me what personal safety actually feels like—the absence of a fear of guns and road violence, a fear I’d carried for decades without realizing it. My granddaughter rides her bicycle to school. We all walk home in the dark. No one is armed. No one will get kidnapped by masked government agents. But there’s another kind of violence here, quieter, and I’m complicit in it simply by being able to afford what young Spaniards cannot.
Editor’s Note: The reflections below come from my personal experience as a member of the Greenbelt Reparations Commission, created after a 2021 citizen referendum directing the City Council to form a 21-person body to “review, discuss, and make recommendations related to reparations for African-American and Native American residents of Greenbelt.” These views are mine alone and do not represent the Commission.
Happy Thanksgiving! This year there is much for which I am grateful; that includes you as a reader of Critical Conversations. Thanks for checking out these posts and sharing your reactions. Knowing that you read and consider my words gives meaning to the creative process!
I’ve been focusing on gratitude this month as we head towards Thanksgiving, and in Twelve Step circles, celebrate Gratitude Month.
Gratitude is a popular topic in Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meeting rooms, particularly in November. Most members readily acknowledge thankfulness for the improvements in their lives and their ability to meet their challenges as a result of their Twelve Step recovery.
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.