This is the 20th and final episode of our podcast. INIT Jeannette is joined by her extraordinary sons Jonathan and David. We talk about what has taken place over this past year and what lies ahead. Thank you for being part of this adventure. May all your moments be merciful and may we be partners in building a more just and righteous world. May we be changed for the better.

Living at the Mercy of the Moment. A Podcast for the Pandemic.

The Pandemiversary: One Year Since Lockdown. What Comes Next?

In this impassioned, important episode we discuss the irresponsible and inexplicable allegation that those of us who are taking the necessary precautions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus or somehow nervous Nellies, hysterics, anxious folk. Somehow I am seeing more posts on social media about people who are tired of being cowardly because they have opted for caution. This is one of our most vibrant conversations.

How to be Conscious During COVID

In this episode Jeannette , David and I discuss a recent article in the New York Times by Roy Scranton about the high likelihood that we will never get back the world that existed before 2019. Instead of feeling fatalistic, we acknowledge that this is a sane and centered approach to our near future and that the pandemic was a wake up call about the crisis our planet faces. This is one of our most impassioned and relevant conversations to date. Don’t miss it.

Saying Goodbye to Normal

In our most candid conversation yet, Jeannette and I go rogue, throwing the script away and discussing the events of last week, namely, the Trump insurrection at the Capitol building. Despite some technical difficulties this is a raw and real conversation about where we are and where we are heading.

January 6, 2021

In this extraordinary episode of our podcast, I am joined by Jeannette , her son David and David’s friend Jen who has lived with epilepsy for the last 20 years. Jen takes the lead in our candid and important conversation about the importance of truth telling in the face of disability...and why the world must begin to hear hard truths about the struggles of others. Power through some of the technical glitches and prepare to be shaken and uplifted by this episode.

The Positive Power of Negativity

In this episode we discuss the individual and collective trauma of this moment when there is not just loss but cruel separation and the lack of closure. We also get personal as Jeannette interrogates me on the unexpectedly joyful insights I gained after my father‘s death. This is a raw and deep conversation

After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling Comes

In this emotionally charged brand new episode, Jeannette and I discuss my father’s death on October 31, the Biden victory and the blessings of a good life and death. We go completely off script to get to the real stuff of life. Our longest episode so far it invites engagement and response. I’d love to hear from you.

And then...everything changed

In this episode we discuss the world our elders are bequeathing to us and what we are handing over to our grandchildren. Jeannette also discusses the virus that likely causes multiple sclerosis and it’s link to the virus that is rampaging our world right now, namely COVID-19.

The World our Elders are Leaving; The World our Grandchildren are Inheriting

In this episode, recorded more than three weeks ago, Jeannette and I discuss the legacy we have been given and what we are passing onto our grandchildren In the course of the pandemic. While this was recorded nearly one month ago it did not get posted due to a death in the family which is the topic of episode 11.

Episode Ten: The World of Our Elders...The World Our Grandchildren are Inheriting

In this episode we are joined by Joanne Lockman, Jeannette’s cousin and close friend. The two discuss their shared childhood and Jo-Ann‘s memories of visiting Jeannette at Letchworth village, The infamous institution for the criminally insane where Jeanette spent a portion of her childhood as her father was a residential doctor. We segue then into a conversation about standing up to the disabling of our democracy, continuing the theme of our previous episode. We also touch on a very touchy topic: the rioting and violence among the ultra orthodox in Borough Park and our responses as Jewish women.

Sheltering Beneath the Family Tree During Turbulent Times.

In our latest episode I speak with Jeannette about how our American democracy has allowed itself to become disabled and what we can do to stand up to it. In our most emotionally riveting episode yet Ee talk about resisting the various insults to our personal and national integrity. This episode is for everyone who wakes up and thinks: WTF?

MS: Mobilize Strength; Mobilize Self...Or WTF

Continuing our conversation on the importance of friends in developing resiliency, we are joined by the extraordinary Kelsey Hildebrand. And in segment 2 Jeannette and I get into some deep waters discussing the absence/presence of God in this broken world.

Episode Seven: You Gotta Have Friends...and...What’s God Gotta Do With It?

In episode six Jeannette and her friend Adela discuss the early days of their friendship when they used to go dancing and we talk about making peace with the loss of a beloved activity due to disability. Jeannette shares the stressful events that happened during the recent hurricane and gives us more important tips for resilience during the pandemic.

The Memory of Movement...and Then the Blackout Happened

In Episode Five, Jeannette and David discuss a terrifying about she had with C Diff, a near death gastric experience. We reflect on the partnership that has made her survival possible and discuss supporting one another during the pandemic. We discussed some terrible truths about MS and offer some word play for the acronym: Much Suffering and...Masks Stupid! As always Jeannette offers a frame from the wisdom she has gained for anyone who is struggling to survive during this time. Don’t miss it!

What’s the Diff?

In today’s episode -- the fourth in our series -- we discuss the ravages committed by MS on the human body and compare it to the ravages inflicted by COVID-19. We also talk about the human propensity for denial and ultimately... the importance of hope and the importance of fighting the good fight.

Made Strong: MS is Not for Sissies

Frank conversation with Shira Dicker and Jeannette Perutz Elsner on the topic of how survivors of calamity have unique reserves of resilience, wisdom and perspective during this time of unprecedented crisis and anxiety. The daughter of Holocaust survivors who spent her childhood in a variety of mental institutions owing to her father’s position as a residential doctor, Jeannette was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in her adulthood. A lifetime of adversity has provided her with the "vaccine" for emotional survival during the COVID crisis. She shares her secrets and tips in this podcast.

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Living at the Mercy of the Moment. A Podcast for the Pandemi...

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