Cry Laugh Heal

An Irish Memory

March 17th, 2013
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In the spare words of poetry, I find simple elegance and peace.

Poetry helps to bring me back to my center.  To take a deep breath.  To slow down and find my direction.
If you are not familiar with William Butler Yeats, he was a distinguished Irish poet who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923, the first Irishman so honored, and later, with others, went on to found the world famous Abbey Theatre located in Dublin.
Yeats’ The Lake of Innisfree is musical in its words and when I close my eyes, I imagine I am in … Read More

The Art of Resilience

March 15th, 2013
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Being Proactive Can Strengthen Your Resilience The subject of resilience totally fascinates me. Resilience is being able to bounce back after being tossed around by life.  Trying to figure out why one person bounces back from a life trauma and another person breaks from the pain tells us something about the human condition don’t you think? It’s a roll of the dice. It’s the $64 million question. The ability to stay on track and keep your focus, the ability to develop an inner strength in the face of adversity is inspiring to me and in turn I draw strength from… Read More

FullSet — A Hot Irish Band

March 14th, 2013
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I just discovered the infectious and energetic sounds of an Irish band called FullSet, recently named “New Group of the Year” for 2012 by the Live Ireland Music Awards. Just listening to their music makes me feel better! Music definitely has healing powers and therapists have found that music’s curative powers can alleviate pain and help not only those of us recovering from a loss but also people recovering from strokes and other medical traumas. Music unlocks differents parts of the brain depending on the music’s pitch, harmony or rhythm and provides a medium for creative expression whether your are… Read More

Top 10 Reasons To Be & (Not To Be) Pope

March 13th, 2013
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Cardinals Gather In Sistine Chapel to Vote On A New Pope Black Smoke.  White Smoke. Cardinals.  Conclave. It’s all part of the Vatican lingo surrounding the pagentry and tradition of electing a new pope to shepherd the millions of Catholics around the globe. Behind the closed doors of the infamous Sistine Chapel in Rome, Italy, 115  Roman Catholic cardinals on Tuesday started the mysterious business of coming together as a conclave to vote for a man to become pope and succeed Benedict XVI who last month became the first pope to resign in six centuries. You don’t have to be… Read More

Here Comes The Sun

March 12th, 2013
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Sunrise By the Washington Monument Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo) Here comes the sun, and I say It’s all right Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here Here comes the sun Here comes the sun, and I say It’s all right ~The Beatles How are you doing now that we are on Daylight Savings Time? Yeah!!! I’m so glad it’s here!!  Winter seemed to have so many fits and starts this year — chilly, snow then warmth, then cold again — I think we really… Read More

Be Careful Out There

March 11th, 2013
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On Saturday, I went to visit my parents who are in their eighties and my brother who has Down’s Syndrome. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and hints of the coming of Spring.  We had a delicious lunch at a local Irish pub and some good solid conversation and then it was time for me to “toddle on home,” as my great friend Ellen would say. I stopped at the gas station near my parent’s house because I like to take advantage of the cheaper gas prices in Rockville, Maryland.  There were no other cars in the gas… Read More

28 Cats

March 8th, 2013
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Okay.  I admit it.  I have a totally silly side: ridiculous pictures of cats and dogs crack me up. This post may seem random to you but it’s not.  It’s humor therapy!  Smiles and laughter can help us heal.  Scientists report that laughter changes our brain chemistry and boosts our immune system. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves and at humorous situations.  If we can’t find the funny side of life, then we’re in trouble. My wonderful son found this on buzzfeed.com and thought it was hysterical; which it is!!In fact, I would really love it if… Read More

Reflections of Nora Ephron’s Son

March 7th, 2013
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Nora Ephron Crying is unsettling.  Especially if you are watching one of your parents do it. My son hates it when I cry and has said that when I would cry all the time immediately after his father/my husband’s death, he would feel this mix of emotions that he didn’t want to feel and so he would walk away.  I understand it and think his reaction was perfectly normal.  He was thirteen years old and dealing with something that adults find hard to handle.  He was just trying to survive. Now, at twenty two years old, my son explains his… Read More

It’s All In Your Attitude

March 6th, 2013
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Hi Dear Friends! Yesterday I went for my annual eye exam and of course the doctor dilated my eyes.  I now have to use eye drops three to four times a day.  One is a prescription drop and the other is an over-the-counter brand.  I am just getting used to this new routine and I am finding that it’s a lot of drops to have rolling down my face.  Better get some water-proof mascara right? Needless to say, computer time has been temporarily shortened but today I still wanted to post some thoughts about healing and managing life’s wacky stresses.… Read More