The Sanctity Of Love And War has its roots in my own spiritual musings and questioning. I was fortunate to have a spiritual mentor who guided me along the way of my journey into the world of writing. That mentor was David J. Powell, Ph.D. Soon after obtaining my Master's Degree in Community Counseling from the University of Scranton in 1996, I began my career in the field of drug and alcohol counseling. I was eager and ready to learn from more experienced professionals on how to navigate the complexities of the field in which I then found myself. It was at that time that I was lucky enough to attend a seminar given by Dr. Powell. When I met him, he was already a renowned presenter within the fields of substance abuse and spirituality. His gentle presence and ability to tell stories relevant to his topic were inspirational to me -- so much so that I made it a point to stay in touch with him. Thus began a fruitful friendship that helped me to grow not only professionally, but personally as well. I didn't realize at that time how much of David's teachings would later influence the writing of my first novel, The Sanctity Of Love And War.
Sadly, David passed away on November 1st after an accident while working at his home in Connecticut. To get a sense of the amount of people he touched in his life, all one needs to do is go to his Facebook page. There you will find instances of the meaningful work he did around the globe, as well as the outpouring of love from friends and students of his teachings who were saddened by the suddenness of his passing.
David wrote many books within the field of counseling and spirituality. He was consulted by many other professionals for his insights and wisdom. After his passing, I reread his Foreward to Richard A. Singer, Jr.'s book Your Daily Walk With Great Minds. I was reminded again why I chose to heed the wisdom of his teachings. David wrote: The secret of a good book is that it reaches into the reader's heart and touches him/her at a deeper level. He went on to further write: We always change when we are confronted with love that is conveyed to us in the silence and sounds of others. Love always transforms people.
In part, The Sanctity Of Love And War tells the story of how the main character of Piper was able to use the wisdom she acquired through her own personal journey and how she was able to use that wisdom to transform herself. Along the lines of David's beliefs, Piper was able to move past her own pain to discover within herself a deeper capacity for love.
Whenever I questioned, I found myself reaching out to David for his wisdom and truth. Invariably, he would gently validate my feelings before reminding me that it was alright to question and doubt; that those aspects of living were simply a part of the journey. It was a result of the questioning and doubt that I began to journal and write the story of Piper and Bo. When I continued to read David's Foreward of Richard A. Singer, Jr.'s book, I took special notice of the following words as they rung so true to me during the writing process of my own book: There is something in the physical act of writing that releases our creative responses and leads to self-understanding. Writing The Sanctity Of Love And War was my attempt to understand not only myself, but the world around me. Through his example, David challenged all he knew to be open and active participants in the world -- participants willing to hold the noble goal of living life with a conscious effort to make the world a better place through our presence and actions. I know I speak for many of those whom he touched when I say how gratifying it was to simply know David was in your corner. He was perhaps the most genuinely real person I ever knew. He understood compassion, love, and truth. As I wrote in the acknowledgement section of The Sanctity Of Love And War:
There are times we are fortunate enough to have individuals enter our lives who have the gift of presence, above and beyond what we've come to expect in this world. One such individual is David J. Powell, Ph.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University and President of the International Center of Health Concerns. Since first attending one of his seminars over ten years ago, he has become a mentor and friend. I am humbly indebted to him for his guidance and love through the years.
Thank you, David, for being a guiding force in my life and for helping shape and influence the writing of The Sanctity Of Love And War. Your legacy of kindness will live on in all those whom you touched and loved.
