Author Archives: Bob Ritzema

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About Bob Ritzema

I am a fourth-generation American of Dutch ancestry and am trained as a clinical psychologist. In 2012, I retired from Methodist University in North Carolina to return to Michigan to help family, and, in 2023, I started again with a move to Milwaukee to be near my children. I maintain a part-time therapy practice. I can be reached at bobritzema@hotmail.com.

I Finally Got Covid

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

So, I finally got Covid, having dodged it for nearly four years. I started coughing Sunday afternoon, and it progressively got worse the next few days. I went for a Covid test on Tuesday, and it came back positive. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Body, Psyche | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Standing Ovation

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

Living in community means being sensitive to each other’s struggles, acknowledging, sympathizing, and encouraging someone who is having a hard time. Last week, a member of our house (who I’ll call Ed) was involved in a tragedy, and it’s affected … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Divine Office

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

In my last post, I talked about worship being the center of life. I quoted Eugene Peterson: “In worship God gathers his people to himself as center: ‘The Lord reigns’ (Ps. 93:1). Worship is a meeting at the center so … Continue reading →

Posted in Spirit | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Finding the Center

Posted on March 24, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

I recently blogged about having moved into a community in Milwaukee, describing the community I’m living in. This is a big life change for me, so it’s prompting reflection and necessitating adjustment. I wanted to describe a bit more what … Continue reading →

Posted in Relationships, Spirit | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Entering Community

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Bob Ritzema

My last post on this site, almost two months ago, detailed all the changes that had occurred in my life during 2022. I ended by describing my plan to move to Milwaukee to be near my oldest son and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Psyche, Relationships | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Life Changes

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Bob Ritzema

Life changes. However, I didn’t experience much change for about 10 years. As I’ve written in previous posts, I came to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2012 to help my parents. That was a year of many changes, but then things … Continue reading →

Posted in caregiving, Psyche | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Deciding on How to Spend a Decade

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Bob Ritzema

Ten years. That’s how long I stayed with my parents to help them as they aged and became more infirm. It was something I never imagined doing. I was the child who had moved out of state when I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Entering Into Grief

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Bob Ritzema

I’m writing this the day after my mom’s memorial service. There had been visitation that morning and the night before, and we the family were consoled and encouraged by scores of those who came in from the concentric circles of … Continue reading →

Posted in Death, Relationships | 6 Comments

Regaining Restaurants.

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Bob Ritzema

As an older adult, I was quite careful about going to restaurants for quite a while, concerned about getting ill. I got vaccinated for covid back in February, but I and my friends had gotten out of the habit of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

I made My Uber Driver Cry

Posted on May 31, 2021 by Bob Ritzema

I took the Amtrak train to St. Louis last week. I arranged for an Uber ride to pick me up and take me to the station early the morning of my trip. I had had a very troubled week, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments