Karen Mulder
Karen Mulder is the founder of the Wisdom of the Wounded ministry. She lives in Holland, Michigan with her husband Larry.
Aging & ElderlyWisdomWisdom Podcasts
The Wooden Bowl

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about father,” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.”

DeathWisdomWisdom Podcasts
One Hour to Live

One Hour to Live

Author Stephen Levine asks the question, “If you had an hour to live and could make only one phone call—who would you call, what would you say, and why are you waiting?" Stephen continues, “Who knows what we are waiting for? Perhaps we want to believe we will live forever, or that “someday” we will get around to telling the people we love, just how much we love them. Whatever the reasons, most of us simply wait too long. "

General CaregivingWisdomWisdom Podcasts
Write an “I Remember” Note

Write an “I Remember” Note

At the end of one’s life, we will not be concerned with (1) how many times we went to a shopping mall, or (2) how many rounds of golf we played, but rather the important question will be: Did my life make a difference?

Consider telling someone this week they made or are making a difference in your life. One way to do this is to write an “I Remember” letter. The following is an example of an “I Remember” letter I wrote to an older friend, Rickie: