I’ve been thinking a lot about things that haunt--not just tech goblins or spooky ghosts, but haunts from the past.  Old experiences, relationships, and patterns that appear from time to time to hijack our present happiness. 

Last week I met a dear friend for a walk in our local park. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful week for me.  I’m a big fan of October--the flowers are jewel-toned, the weather cools down, it’s my birthday... ;)

But for my friend, it’s full of anxiety.  She shared with me that deep in her bones there is a fear. This fear comes from a traumatic memory of last Halloween--an event that had her on the edge for months afterward.  Although she and her family are now on the other side of it, the anticipation of the one-year anniversary was causing great suffering. She wanted to skip the whole holiday.  They all wanted to avoid it. I totally got that.  

But after chatting a bit, we...