The Cardinal’s Promise

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  • Brothers

    When my mother came home from the hospital carrying Chris, I looked at her and asked,…

  • The Immigrant

    I was born Claudio Balderas in Mexico City. I left when I was four. My mother…

  • Why I Wrote The Cardinal’s Toolkit

    While writing about my dad, I discovered something unexpected. At first, I simply journaled to process…

  • A Note from The Cardinal’s Promise

    A short hello, what we’re working on, and why this story matters.

  • The Sponsor

    Before I learned how to sit with dying people, I learned how to sit with someone…

  • Hope

    My brother Chris stood up at the wedding and said five words that landed harder than…

  • The Worst Room

    I sponsored people who went back out. Many of them died. Some went to jail. You…

  • The Mat

    Before I learned how to sit with dying people, I learned how to get back up.…

  • Why I’m Writing the Cardinal’s Promise

    I’ve spent my life and recovery being there for families and now am working in hospice,…

  • The Cardinal

    January 9, 2026. Fifteen days after my father died on Christmas. Seventeen years sober. I was…