Snapshots from our birthday issue of Recovering the Self.

1. Recovering the Self Vol. II, No 3(Birthday Issue)

2. From the Editor RTS is a yearling! It’s a pleasure beyond description to have our first birthday issue out! Thanks to all of you who have contributed your time, effort, and passion for writing, sharing your talent via the pages of this journal. I had a strong yearning to contrive some means by which to share the RTS birthday cake with you. So here we are! You have the cake all to you and it’s your challenge to eat and have it at the same time. Write back on this 

3. “Upon Wings of Eagles”Christy Lowry Listening to others' personal stories laced with nostalgic memories and special readings after that startling 'coincidence' gave me a chance to pause and regroup my thoughts before we all went outside into the church parking lot for the balloon release. The gathering's theme, "With Wings as Eagles," reverberated throughout my mind and heart as I intently wound and re-wound the balloon string tightly around my fingers. I was determined: This symbol of Pammy would not get away so suddenly or easily as she had!

4. “The Challenges of Grief Work with Chemically Dependent Individuals”David J. Roberts During the last seven years of my career, my perceptions of loss and grief radically changed because of personal experience. On 3/1/03, my daughter Jeannine Marie Roberts died at the age of 18, following a ten month battle with cancer. Her death resulted in a reassessment of my values, priorities, and general world view. I now do not view loss as linear with a fixed time frame; I now view it as a lifelong circular process, during which our emotional pain resurfaces at any time during our journeys.

5. “Not Everything about Conflicts is Bad”Karen Sherman Can you recall the very beginning of your relationship … that wonderful time when everything seemed so magical as if you had found the most wonderful person in the world? It’s the time in a relationship where it’s all just right … almost the stuff that terrific romantic movies are made of. This is known as “The Honeymoon Phase.” Wouldn’t it be great if this first stage of a relationship could last forever?

6. Rethinking the “Monster” of Mental IllnessRobin Lathangue When it comes to spirit, we are largely cynical and, I am sorry to say, mocking of the traditions that have preceded us. What about the religions? Most of us link these with close-minded authoritarianism, dogmatic fundamentalism and now, terrorism. We think of religious conviction as the prime ingredient in the toxic mix that causes terrorist violence. As for arts and entertainment, we have a television culture that panders to our lowest instincts. We have the major media outlets that shower us with shallow, superficial bytes of information that too many take to be reliable, and the source of all there is to whatever is reported.

7. “Journaling for Health”Patricia Wellingham-Jones Writing about your emotions can bring long term health benefits, reduce stress, and bring relief, understanding, and even joy. Your journal can help organize your life, increase your feelings of well-being, record important events, and become a keepsake and the story of your life.

8. “Flannel Shirt”Tyler R. Tichelaar I had not owned a flannel shirt since I was a boy. Then my wife bought me one for our first Christmas together. When I opened the box, the smell of flannel leapt out. Overpowered by nostalgia, I pressed the flannel to my face to breathe in the comfort of cotton fibers. “What are you doing?” laughed my wife. “I love the smell of flannel.” “Why?” “I don’t know,” I lied. “I always have I did know. I just couldn’t talk about it. Flannel reminded me of my grandfather.

9. “The Perfect Formula Diet”Janice Stanger People do best getting their protein directly from plants. There is zero need to worry about complementing different kinds of foods. Any reasonable vegan diet has enough protein because only 5% of calories need to come from this nutrient, and most plant foods supply at least 10% of calories from protein. Animal protein can have toxic effects for people. Animal protein can activate the immune system, causing systemic inflammation, pain, and chronic illness ranging from cardiovascular disease to allergies to Alzheimer’s. Animal protein also raises levels of a growth factor called IGF-1, which directly facilitates the growth of cancer cells.

10. Recovering the Self Read these and more healing articles, essays, and stories along with reviews, interviews, and tips – all in RTS, Vol. II. No. 3. Visit www.recoveringself.com