Digging Deep

June 6th, 2013
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I have previously written about people I know who are fighting the good fight against cancer.  Three of them at this point are in good health while one is gearing up for the fight of his life.
He is getting ready for surgery next week and after that he enters an intense, aggressive program aimed at totally killing this sucker in its tracks.  He has an amazing attitude towards this scary situation and I admire his calm and even demeanor.

 

Put in the same situation, I know I would not be faring so well and I don’t think I … Read More

A Summer Itch

May 10th, 2013
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I talked to one of my great friends today on the telephone.  I thought she was at home or running errands but then she said she had to get off the phone because she was getting ready to cross the Bay Bridge.As in the Bay Bridge over the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.Ding! Ding! Ding! She’s. Going. To. The. Beach! Right away, I began to feel the symptoms of an incurable condition called “Beach Fever.” My friend’s news dovetailed perfectly with the recent warming of the sun in Washington, DC (predicted 82 degrees today!) and turning the calendar to the mojo… Read More

Surfing Emotions

April 24th, 2013
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Photo Courtesy of Secrets of The Sea Feelings are much like waves,   we can’t stop them from coming   but we can choose which ones to surf.   ~ Jonatan Martensson… Read More

Quietude

April 17th, 2013
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I am constantly reminding myself to chill out: when I am driving to and from work, when I am at work, or when I am in a situation where my expectations are not even close to matching up to reality. Add to the equation a traumatic event such as the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon and the resulting increased security and it’s no wonder that you, me and others are on edge.  Stressed out.  And the toll that stress takes on our physical health and mental well being is daunting. I don’t think I am alone in feeling this… Read More

Forgiveness

April 5th, 2013
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Someone close to me is emotionally stuck on certain negative events that happened in her life decades ago.  She talks about them in great detail and tells others how she felt when these things happened to her.  Listening over and over again to her retelling of these events doesn’t seem to help her move forward and get past what happened. It’s as though she has a list in her head and she mentally checks these things off every day to remind herself that someone did something wrong to her.  It is sad and frustrating to watch someone concentrate on the… Read More

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

Year of the Snake

February 11th, 2013
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Chinese Celebration of the Year of the Snake/ AFP Photo Happy Year of the Snake! Chinese New Year is here and millions around the world are celebrating “the Year of the Snake.”  Just so you know, 2012 was the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese symbology, snakes are regarded as intelligent and wise, BUT the Chinese also believe that snakes have a tendency to be somewhat unscrupulous.  Oh yeah. . . we all are familiar with someone who might have “done us wrong.”  Being unscrupulous definitely has a bad vibe attached to it, which is probably why Americans say that… Read More

Seaching for Serenity

December 17th, 2012
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As we try to find a way to deal with the tragic stories in the news about the Newtown, Connecticut shootings, let us try to find a way to take a break from the pain. A new work week begins and Christmas is close just a week away.  The juxtaposition of the Newtown stories, the social media dialogue; television and newspapers stories covering gun control, the state of mental health and parenting issues in the United States against the backdrop of Christmas decorations and music is jarring.I find myself turning off the television and only reading parts of stories because… Read More

Beers With Friends

November 21st, 2012
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A good friend of mine posted the below story on her Facebook page but there was no source of authorship so I don’t know who wrote it or where it came from. But I thought it was wonderful story, definitely asking me to think about how I spend my time and how I prioritize my life: family, friends, my health, my passions.  Do I get a sense of meaning from my work, daily activities and relationships?  Maybe I am letting the small stuff get in the way of the more important stuff? It’s always healthy to reassess yourself. I try… Read More