What if resilience and compassion were life tools forged in a violent childhood where poverty, alcohol and illness were constants? Could they pave the way for an unshakable sibling bond that becomes a journey of purpose and connection?
Listen as Mick Cochrane, acclaimed writer and professor answers this question in his captivating narrative of growing up alongside his remarkable, humorous, and creative sister, Sue. As a family court judge for 18 years, she found unconventional ways to put the heart back into the body of the law, while dealing with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. It then returned as an inoperable brain tumor. Through multiple chemo rounds and brain surgeries, Sue had a deep curiosity about life, science, spirituality, and death- and a radical openness that allowed others to feel at ease. She chose to live with compassion and joy- like a mirror reflecting the good in others.
Mick shares his journey to publish Sues’ extraordinary memoir: “The Crystal Gavel: How I put my heart into the body of the law.” Reading this book is like talking to Sue, you can’t help but get pulled in! From her trauma born mutism to international speaker for collaborative law, she embodied Mary Oliver’s words:
“The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.”
Links:
Mick Cochrane
The Crystal Gavel: How I Put My Heart into the Body of the Law by Sue Cochrane, Edited by Mick Cochrane, Wise Ink Publisher
Kintsugi: The Golden Joinery of Love by Sue Cochrane, Syndicated from themovementofhealing.org Oct.31, 2023
Judicial referee Susan Cochrane, who channeled her difficulties into life's work of compassion, dies at 65 by Rachelle Olson, Star Tribune February 27, 2021
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