Nietzsche said a century ago: `When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago."'

Attempts to preserve personal identity are always futile. Transiency is forever. Rippling, as I use it, refersinstead to leaving behind something from your life experience; some trait; some piece of wisdom, guidance, virtue, comfort that passes on to others, known or unknown.

As I have said, a potential awakening experience lies in almost every course of grief and often makes its first appearance in a dream.

In otherwords: where I am, death is not; where death is, I am not. Therefore, Epicurus held, "why fear death when we can never perceive it?"

Mark posed an uncomfortable question, but, when faced with it, I followed Terence's maxim and searched my own mind for some similar recollection and then shared it.

"These thoughts of death," I said, "let's keep analyzing them; let's dissect them. I know that the thought of death feels overwhelming-but stare right into it, tell me, what in particular is the most frightening thing about dying?"

This willingness to experience one's own pain in concert with another has been a part of the healing traditions, both secular and religious, for centuries.

The therapeutic act is far more effective than the therapeutic word.

I believe that our need for mentors reflects much about our vulnerability and wish for a superior or supreme being.