Bernie Slutsky

  I scrutinize how I spend my time. What am I doing that is making someone else’s life better? Do I self-judge or am I just conscience about how much pain there is out there? When I suffer is it just mine or is it everyone’s? Today I sit with a small, black dog, who got to know me in less than a week, And there is an intense closeness, loyalty, that is mutual, We don’t share the same language It is all trust, faith, and even risk taking, She teaches me unconditional connection I know she means the best And she trusts that I do as well As humans we struggle with trust, unconditionality, and taking risks, We attach to belonging, being noticed, accepted, and avoidance of what isn’t comfortable or what can make us look or seem unworthy, We get hung up with how we are perceived And can’t seem to shake off when we are wrong So, we join a cause, a caucus, a colony, to blend in and feel like we are on the right side We will win and defeat those that are against us We have an identity and a...

  Journey of the Heart   The open heart is welcoming, healing and sacred It honors my presence It connects me to my soul It comforts the troubling mind It gives me pause when I don’t know where to turn This vast space in the center of my body is unconditional love that forever lasts When this light inside my heart space shines, glows, flows through my body, I am soft, and open to the love, the connection, the intimacy that is in front of me I thrive, I feel alive, and I’m whole   There are the times my mind tells me I am in danger I have been done wrong I am not important I am not up to standards or expectations Or I am being judged unfairly or put in some category that is demeaning That’s when the door of the heart is closed To protect from harm It is free from vulnerability, so it won’t get hurt It is kept safe from intrusion and attack That’s when I’m alone, shut down, and the beauty before me is unnoticed   My heart breaks when I see destruction, condescension, b...

My Grief In this pandemic over 150,000 people have died. Over a million people have been infected with the virus. There are countless others suffering lingering effects from the infection. All the lives that have been crushed financially is staggering. It is overwhelming to comprehend the impact, the loss, the devastation of this illness. This could’ve been prevented. The grief and the heartbreak of this is like a tidal wave that rushes over me, knocks me down, and pulls me into a gorge. It is out of control. I am in a place where I haven’t been before. I feel the deepest grief and startling shock. It is so expansive and attacking. I don’t know whether to dodge, duck, or run through it. I have to shut down. Not feel. My brain tells me to just survive. This is too big for you. I think about the losses in my life previously such as relationships with friends that were neglected which ended, significant relationships that didn’t last, and losing touch with colleagues after I left organiza...

What Would it be Like to Live in a Place Where There is a Sense of Kindness?   We are living in a moment where change is happening in front of us rapidly. There is a movement to stop racism, establish equality for all, to end violence by the police, the military, and community. And we are living in a pandemic that has taken many lives and has caused suffering to the population at large. The national political atmosphere has created nothing less than danger to us all. There has been denial and negligence towards the pandemic. The reaction by the federal government to the protestors who are marching for change in how society is being policed has been nothing short of fascism. There are many who are desperately in dire straits financially because of the pandemic. And they are being ignored by the federal government. Our society is escalating by the minute. We are frightened, panicked, angry, and we grieve. We all want, need, and are calling out from our hearts and souls, for change: t...

Don’t Let Them Define This Movement   The picture of the White officer stepping on the Black Man’s neck with a look on the officer’s face that was composed and showed that he did not care at all about the Black man’s life is everlasting. This snapshot sent off a spark that started a new and rejuvenated movement for equality for Black people. Since that incident there have been protests, demonstrations, and new and deeper conversations about racism in the United States. White people are more open about this than ever before. It is a defining moment at this time. During the protests and marches there has been some rioting and looting especially right after George Floyd was murdered. For the most part all the demonstrations were peaceful around the country. Not long after the Floyd murder Rayshard Brooks was killed by Atlanta police. Immediately following that murder protests took place and there was rioting and destruction of property. Since then there has not been any rioting or loo...

The feeling hit me when we walked into a grocery store in Long Beach New York. We went shopping for my mother-in-law. The lines for every register backed into the aisles. People seemed frantic and in a hurry. The carts were over-flowing with groceries, toilet paper, paper towels, and other items. People were stocking up for a long time. It was the end of February. We still didn’t start to wear masks as of yet. I realized right then, that we are in an emergency situation. The fear settled in my abdomen. That’s when I accepted that the United States was part of the pandemic. We thankfully were able to fly back to Minnesota after being in New York for a week. Being in the epicenter of the virus at that time was a learning experience. Most notably I realized that you have to be disciplined with washing hands, keeping counters clean, and maintaining distance. By the end of our stay I also appreciated mask wearing. I am so glad to see that New York has gotten past that wave and the numbers o...

There Are Angels Among Us   We have grown more attached to our technological devices They have grown into just about every area of our lives They help us connect with our loved ones Technology is now the foundation of work It shops for us Sometimes it is the medium for our healthcare We get our news through technology Our world is brought to us through it It is what is getting us through the pandemic It brings us entertainment and relief We learn how to do things and get answers from the web When we’re lonely we turn to our devices Social media helps us escape the fear and anxiety that creeps up inside our bodies We laugh and get touched by what we encounter on the phone, tablet or laptop We can send whatever is happening inside us, what we discover, to someone we know that is across the country or even on the other side of the planet It is remarkable how I feel a strong desire, the need, to touch my loved ones, to see them, to be with them, to feel them, to be felt by them And I c...