Below is a copy of a Self-Care Tip I sent out eight years ago this month. I believe it has relevance again, particularly if tensions have developed with family, friends, or co-workers as the result of a divisive election. Greetings, Thanksgiving is fast approaching. A month later we’ll be celebrating Hanukkah and Christmas. Holidays, while…
Let us remain soft and supplelike the branches of a sapling.Whatever storms may come,our spirit stays flexible,not attached to outcome,nor uprooted by the gales. Rooted but not rigid,we can move naturally in the winds of change,bending but never broken. Adapted from The Caregiver’s Tao Te Ching, (2013) by William and Nancy Martin I’ve learned to…
Take Your N Vitamin “The best remedy for those who are afraid,lonely or unhappy is to go outside,somewhere where they can be quiet, alonewith the heavens,nature and God”~Anne Frank How to witness suffering, yet avoid emotional burnout, was the topic of a Carolyn Hax advice column inThe Washington Post. She states that “None of…
“Prayer begins wherehuman capacity ends.”~Marian Anderson Last month I wrote about some of the crises from 2023 you might be carrying into the New Year andencouraged you to create a plan for handling stress. This month I’m suggesting that when a lifechallenge continues to weigh heavy, try giving the situation over to a higher power…
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity,but of balance and order, and rhythm and harmony.”~Thomas Merton When we visited Nova Scotia a few years ago, my husband and I discovered a small hidden beach on Cape Breton Island filled with hundreds of cairns—human-made piles of balanced rocks. Whether done as a memorial, a form of…
Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness, will we discover the infinite power of light. ~Brene Brown An acquaintance of mine died after years of drinking. She had gradually cut herself off from friends and family becoming more and more reclusive. I learned later that she had never unraveled and dealt with…
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” ~Brene Brown Janet’s mother had Alzheimer’s and was eventually placed in a memory care facility. Feeling guilty she could no longer keep her mother at home, Janet visited every day after work, often eating dinner with her. Janet’s…
“Patience is power. Patience is not an absence of action; rather it is timing! Patience waits on the right time to act, the right principles and in the right way! ~Fulton J Sheen, former Catholic Bishop Practice Patience During a recent walk on the beach next to an estuary, I spotted a Great Blue…
Train Yourself to be in awe of the subtle, and you will live in a world of beauty and ease. ~Rodney Yee Once in a huge while, a Pileated woodpecker visits our backyard suet feeder. As one of the most striking forest birds on the continent, I’m always filled with awe when I unexpectedly see…
Moderation, Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything.These are the secrets of happiness and good health.~Julia Child It’s that time of year again when my dietary intake tends to expand to include foods I’m not generally accustomed to eating. After all, eating and drinking with friends and coworkers is one of the season’s most…
