Sanctuary Blog
Latest Sanctuary Post
Setting Boundaries With Difficult People: What Works and What Doesn’t
We’re not going to tell you it’s easy. But some approaches are far more likely to succeed than others.
Sanctuary Posts
I Won’t Give Up
I have ultimate admiration for families learning and practicing the CRAFT method with their addicted Loved Ones. To me this song is not only beautiful and harmonious, but also beautifully encompasses the spirit of CRAFT, and the labor of love it requires.
Finding Gratitude in the Shadows
What if, in a moment of conflict, you were able to pause and recall some positive trait you appreciate about your loved one? How well are you able to separate the illness of addiction from the person you love?
Orphaned Street Kids’ Electrifying Choir Performance
Give yourself the gift of three electrifying, uplifting minutes. Watch this performance by a remarkable choir made up of orphaned former street kids from Africa.
I Know I Should Do This…But What A Struggle!
In a recent discussion with AiR Editor Isabel Cooney for the Coming Up for Air podcast, Laurie MacDougall responded to the question: "Why do we have so much resistance to self-care, even though we know it's a good idea?" (sound clip: 1 min 27 sec)
You Matter (and so do your acts, big and small)
Allies in Recovery collaborator Annie Highwater filmed a short explanation of something she does in her hometown that can have astonishing results. It can even save lives. And it certainly spreads hope around where it's most needed.
The Snow Day
An unexpected snow day and a poem by Tess Gallagher remind us that every day brings new choices.
The Peace of Wild Things
Has negativity or hopelessness become the norm in your life? Wendell Berry's poem "The Peace of Wild Things" reminds us to pause and seek inner peace on a daily basis.
The shame of addiction turned my life into a lie. Here’s what saved my family
In this short video, a mother speaks about the feelings of shame that paralyzed her and kept her from taking action or even speaking to her friends, during her son's addiction to painkillers.
Coming Back to Earth
Earthing feels similar to those unexpected moments when you find yourself running through the rain and stop, hold your hands up to the sky and allow yourself to feel heaven rain down. Healing. Freeing. Alive.
Madame Sherri’s Magical Castle Ruins
Explore the mysterious ruins of Madame Sherri's castle, tucked away in a quiet corner of Southwest New Hampshire.
Finding Gratitude in the Shadows
How well can you separate the illness of addiction from the person you love? Can you find the light of their humanity when their shadow side is staring you in the face? What if you could shift your catastrophic thinking? Could compassion change the destructive dynamic in your relationship?
Young Men with Passion
5 young men with passion, tap shoes and the Beatles!
Kindness & Sorrow: The Deepest Things
A poem by Naomi Shihab Nye is a poignant reminder of the ways in which hardship can soften us and open us to acts of kindness.
On a Massachusetts Mountaintop
Relax and enjoy the light shifting over Bakke Mountain in Massachusetts. "Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free," the philosopher Zhuang Zhou once wrote. "Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate."
The Humor of Imperfection
In the mood for some comic relief? Celebrate the comedy of failure and surprise with these two hilarious animal videos. Yes, even dogs struggle to be good dogs, just as we humans struggle to embrace our imperfect humanity.
Beautiful Brokenness
Learn more about the Japanese art of kintsugi and how it is the perfect metaphor for our broken relationships, human failures, and the fraught path to recovery that we share with our Loved One.
The Elvis-Loving Cockatoo
Need a laugh? Check out this dancing cockatoo and his less enthusiastic, feathered friend.
An Icy Purgatory Falls
Take a moment to enjoy the relaxing sounds of an icy New Hampshire waterfall in winter.
3 Boundaries to Set in Every Relationship
In this Super Soul Sunday excerpt, Oprah Winfrey and her guests discuss the importance of setting emotional boundaries. Here are three boundaries we should learn to set, not only with our Loved One, but in any of our relationships.
A Winter Thaw
Take a moment to enjoy this relaxing video of a winter thaw in New Hampshire. Observe the shifting light, the shadows on the snow as the fog lifts, bringing blue skies, sunshine, and a glistening white field of ice.