I’m a big fan of TNG, and Picard was always my captain. My all-time favorite Picard quote, both its content and delivery: “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” #PatrickStewart #CaptainPicard

What I learned in my counseling grad school this week: “Ask rather than assume. Support rather than define.” Advocate without taking over.” A perpetual danger in helping is assuming what you think others need. Imposing help isn’t help, it only feeds the ceaseless ego of the “helper.”

My mom recently got a new place and she set up one of the rooms for my six year old daughter, complete with princess bed and a full bookcase. We were blown away by grandma’s generosity. My two year old son’s room wasn’t ready yet and it only had a chair. He walks in,

Things I have never told my children and never will: “You’re so annoying.” “You embarrassed me.” “Why can’t you be more like ___” “I don’t believe you.” “That’s what you always do.” “It’s not that bad.” “Boys will be boys.”

“Just teach your daughter to protect herself.” Yeah but from whom? FROM WHOM NAME THEM

Not a single abuser who abused me is living with a ruined future. Not a single one ever “redeemed” themselves or turned their lives around for better. Not a single one has had any remorse. Save your concern for the victims. Spare me any care for abusers who never did.

What I learned in my counseling grad school today: “You are not the expert on someone else’s lived experience.” Always remaining a student in the classroom of another’s story.

I don’t usually watch K-Dramas, but I look them up all the time because my wife likes them. When I find one she might like, I send a description with reviews, the cast, why it’s popular. I love the look on my wife’s face when she enjoys something. I admit that’s a selfish motive but I really do.

My patient is dying and he says he is afraid and he asks me to pray for him. Afterward he tells me something I can never forget: “I don’t know you and I can’t see you. But I can die now with peace because I carry your words.” May we be the words that carry one another home.

I spent half an hour reading Goodreads reviews of my previous book. The negative reviews were tough to read, but most were honest & fair & I learned a lot from them. One of my favorite reviews said “He’s more likely to quote James Baldwin than Jesus.” I’m 100% happy with that.

Please take this from me, a hospital chaplain who has sat with hundreds of deathbeds for over ten years: In the end, we really only have each other. And we really only have a breath and then we’re gone. Life is as fast as a spoken word, so be gentle.

I believe that anyone, really anyone, can redeem themselves. But none of the people that they hurt owe them a thing except distance and a closed door. Anyone can redeem themselves, but they can do it over there.

The future was supposed to have flying cars, not a fascist terrorist government equipping their little N*zi cosplayers with cartoonishly evil lethal electro gloves.

Protect trans kids.

“I tell my students, when you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.” — Toni Morrison, interview 2003

May you live in such a way that when you are gone, the world may be lesser, not better, that your life beget grief, not relief.

I’ve been at enough deathbeds to know this: Not every death is a loss. Sometimes the dying person’s last breath is their family’s first real one.

Pictured are three American heroes. Not the ones hiding their faces. But seriously, they never asked to be heroes and we need to build a world where we don’t need resilience or heroism or sacrifice or martyrs to survive and to be liberated and free. [pic 1 by Cheney Orr & pics 2-3 by Finn Gomez]

More stories, not data centers. More books, not bombs. More food, not ICE. More water, not AI. More landback, not monopolies. More reparations, not false apologies. More joy and grief, not tone policing. More voices, no more silencing.

My book *We Are Made of Us* is on sale at B&N for 25% off. 🫶🔥♥️ It’s about family dynamics, facing inherited trauma, and reclaiming our motherland—all which I learned as a hospital chaplain at deathbeds, deliveries, illness, and a level 1 trauma center. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-are-mad...

Their favorite. 🤩😍😊

“We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.” — Tennessee Williams, from an interview by James Grissom, 1982 #WidowsBay

Children are expected to have a level of self-control that’s rarely seen in police, politicians, pastors, billionaires, and the president.

I got flowers for my wife on Father’s Day. 🌹♥️🫶

My newest book, WE ARE MADE OF US, is now available for preorder. 🫶✍️ It’s about family dynamics, facing inherited trauma, and reclaiming motherland. It’s part memoir, part guide, and part hospital stories through my decade of chaplaincy. Preorder here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/796363...

Daughter graduated kindergarten. And my mom made it. 🎓♥️ Grandma worked hard at rehab to make it. I cried for many, many reasons. 😭🥲😊 Thank you to everyone for your generous wisdom and kind advice in making sure my mom had a safe and supportive experience. Daughter was so happy she was there. 🙏

Update: With a walker my mom can walk down the hallway of the rehab center. 💪♥️🙌 She’s determined to make it to my daughter’s kindergarten graduation. About the drunk driver, my mom said, “I’m just thankful they called 911 for me. I don’t want to ruin their life.” 😮‍💨🙏

Good news: Mom has been in rehab since Monday and with a walker she TOOK A FEW STEPS TO THE BATHROOM 😭😭😭😭♥️🔥

J.S. Park 박준@jspark3000.bsky.social · 6mo ago

My mom was in the hospital for 16 days (the one where I work) after being hit by a drunk driver while on a walk. She now begins the arduous work of relearning to walk in physical rehab. We’d love your prayers, good intentions, good vibes. Thank you. 🙏♥️🫶

My mom was in the hospital for 16 days (the one where I work) after being hit by a drunk driver while on a walk. She now begins the arduous work of relearning to walk in physical rehab. We’d love your prayers, good intentions, good vibes. Thank you. 🙏♥️🫶

I worked one of the hardest hospital shifts I’ve ever worked in ten years. I accompanied a physician to tell someone their entire family died. I’m not okay. They’re not okay.