I had other intentions & ideas for this month’s President’s Address, but life had different plans. Some of you may know that I was in Turkey visiting my father, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed away when I was there…in the overwhelming waves of grief and unexpected, random tears, I see the blessing in such timing. To have the chance to be present at his funeral, to cry and grieve with his friends, family, neighbors, uncles, nieces, and siblings, in other words, a sense of community through one of the most difficult moments was the final gift my father gave me.

I also noticed other gifts during this time. I experienced the gift of gemeinschaftsgefühl. It stopped being a term and idea and became a living reality that I felt in my bones. I comprehended what a tremendous gift it is by itself and all the gifts it brings. Being able to grieve together, share our heartaches, and comfort one another with hugs, words, memories, and text messages are all the gifts that come with the community feeling. Not only did the Adlerian community, BOD, and COR check-in, listen, and send best wishes, but they also stepped in to do the work that needed to be done with grace and gentleness. I am grateful for the community we have.

As NASAP, we have had collective losses this year. While in Turkey, I learned that Roy Kern had passed away. I reminisced about what I learned from him through his writings and presentations. My first JIP article was published when he was the Editor. Through the email exchange, I could sense how happy he was to share my excitement. And earlier this year, we learned about the passing of Mary Jamin Maguire and Rev. Robert (Bob) William Herrmann-Keeling. I remember Mary from my very first NASAP conference. Her presentation on Early Recollections felt like magic. Later, our conversation on parenting was one of the life-changing conversations for me. Bob was a long-time Adlerian, designed and taught courses, and published on Adlerian Psychology. I did not know Bob personally; however, I learned that he had a great sense of humor, bringing laughter to every space he entered. I can attest to his high social interest; Bob wanted to continue to support NASAP and Adlerian Psychology. His daughter sent his journals and books to NASAP, and at his funeral, donations for NASAP were requested in lieu of flowers. If you have memories with Roy, Mary, and Bob, please share them with us on NASAP social media pages or by email. Let’s experience community through sharing beautiful moments.

What a gift it is to remember fondly! My heart is full of gratitude that we get to share happy times and sad times; we get to shed tears together for our losses and reflect on the lessons we learn from one another. Adler said, “Death is really a great blessing for humanity, without it there could be no real progress. People who lived forever would not only hamper and discourage the young but they would themselves lack sufficient stimulus to be creative.” I wish our Adlerian community to face our mortality with courage and let it become a sufficient stimulus to be creative in solving of problems of the world.

Bengü Ergüner-Tekinalp,
President