Making His Child a Priority Saved Their Lives

saved their lives, growth, healing, Pardeep Kaleka, post-traumatic growth,

July 17, 2021

Episode 36: Making His Child a Priority, Saved Their Lives

Unfortunately, Pardeep and I share the pain of losing our family members to violence ignited and fueled by hate. As the author of, The Gift of our Wounds, Pardeep Kaleka found opportunities for post-traumatic growth and healing after the murders of his own father and friends at the Sikh Temple in Oakcreek, Wisconsin on August 5, 2012. Currently, a trauma clinician and the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Pardeep shares with me in episode 36, “Making His Child a Priority, Saved Their Lives”, his own desire for humans to heart-speak; speaking from one heart to another. He continues to place a high priority on allowing mental health and faith health to walk hand in hand.

Making His Child a Priority, Saved Their Lives Podcast on YouTube

mindy’s show notes

Episode 036 – Mindy and Pardeep Kaleka

Making His Child a Priority, Saved Their Lives

Pardeep Kaleka, murders, growth, healing, post-traumatic growth, I focused on kindness and interfaith understanding, not on white supremacists, after my father, William L Corporon MD, and oldest son, Reat Underwood, were murdered on April 13, 2014, by a self-proclaimed neo-nazi. When prompted to click a link, engage in a live conversation, or watch any type of documentary pertaining to the hateful ideology that led to the murders of my beloved, I would physically remove myself from the situation. Already shattered, I had no intention of potentially harming myself further by giving time to this hateful rhetoric.

My path of choice led me to meet Jon Willis, founder of Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance. We formed a partnership in hiring Clare Stern to oversee youth engagement and leadership in the areas of interfaith dialogue. Ms. Stern introduced me to the Parliament of the World Religions. In 2018, I found myself walking the halls of the Metro Toronto Convention Center as one of 8300 humans desiring to fulfill the theme of the seventh worldwide interfaith conference…” The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love”.

I was stunned to find Pardeep Singh Kaleka, a kindred shattered soul, in conversation with a former white supremacist, Arno Michaelis. Unfortunately, Pardeep and I share the pain of losing our family members to violence ignited and fueled by hate. As the author of, The Gift of our Wounds, Pardeep found opportunities for post-traumatic growth and healing after the murders of his own father and friends at the Sikh Temple in Oakcreek, Wisconsin on August 5, 2012.

Taking on the role of family and temple communicator only hours after a gunman took the lives of six on location and a seventh, who died in 2020 from his wounds, Pardeep found that sharing the stories and lives of his father and friends was a natural path for him.

As a former law enforcement officer and educator, Pardeep wanted to control the narrative providing empowerment to his Sikh community. By directing attention to what they COULD do after the murders rather than focusing on them being victims of hate he asked himself and others to redefine forgiveness. Relying on the three tenets of Sikhism 1. meditation upon and devotion to the Creator, 2. truthful living, and 3. service to humanity, Pardeep was instrumental in founding Serve 2 Unite.

Currently, a trauma clinician and the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, Pardeep shares with me in episode 36, “Making His Child a Priority, Saved Their Lives”, his own desire for humans to heart-speak; speaking from one heart to another. He continues to place a high priority on allowing mental health and faith health to walk hand in hand.

Isn’t this what scriptures from the Bible, Torah, Quran and the Adi Granth tell us? Each of these religious sources also provides an avenue for forgiveness.

Try it.

saved their lives, growth, healing, Pardeep Kaleka, post-traumatic growth,