Posts Tagged: resilience

Quiet Help From A Friend

March 24th, 2017
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Shhhh

Life sometimes reminds me of a science experiment.

Some days it’s a spontaneous experiment gone bad and then other days it can turn out to be an explosion of joy, as in a science experiment gone fabulous.

The science I am reminded of today has to do with the classic law of physics that we all learned in school and that is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Conversations can sometimes fall into this law of physics, many of them revolving around that push-pull, turning into equal and opposite reactions of a dynamic conversation or they … Read More

Wearing Of The Green

March 17th, 2017
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Me and My Dad Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Nobody loved St. Patrick’s Day more than my Dad! I know that in the last post I offered to you, I wrote about my Dad’s passing but I couldn’t resist writing about him again because today is his favorite holiday. From the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep, my Dad made sure that he celebrated every second of St. Patrick’s Day. He took a lot of pride in his Irish heritage and that meant he wore as much green as he could on Paddy’s Day, he played… Read More

Daddy Grief

March 13th, 2017
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My Dad and I Goofing Around I miss my Dad.  A lot. I miss hearing his voice, talking to him and hanging out with him. I miss helping him with his eye drops, reading the newspaper to him and bringing him his favorite chicken salad sandwiches from Panera. I miss the way he talked like Donald Duck and his funny way of telling a story. His funeral was on March 2 and I am trying hard to figure out how to deal with his absence, the actual physical loss of him. I went to my parents house yesterday and it… Read More

Daddy Daughter Ballet

February 17th, 2017
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      I took ballet lessons for almost ten years and I would have loved to have taken at least one class with my Dad. I know he would have been up for it — even if it meant wearing a pink tutu.  I know it would have been pure fun! I laugh to myself just thinking about what it would have been like if we had had the chance to dance together that way.  At 89 years old, my Dad still has a strong resilient spirit even though he recently began receiving hospice care. I began to imagine … Read More

Love Connections

February 14th, 2017
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Valentine’s Day may be what some people call a “Hallmark Holiday” but love is always worth celebrating whether you embrace all of the commercial hoopla or just quietly light a candle, give a meaningful hug or tap out a telephone number to connect with a special person. Love gives us hope.  Love makes us feel all tingly inside and helps our resilient hearts beat a little faster.  Love is exciting. Love is also risky.  To find it is definitely a roll of the emotional dice and, depending on the person, you may want to immediately throw the dice.  Or as … Read More

Take A Deep Breath

January 29th, 2017
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  Dear Resilient Friends: I have been away for awhile but have not forgotten about you.  2017 started off in a difficult direction for my family.  Both of our parents have been ill, requiring hospitalization and additional involvement from me and my five siblings.  We are striving every day to do our best to give loving care and attention to both parents, splitting our time between the hospital and our parents house often amidst a swirl of new medical terms and medicines while we carry on with our jobs and other personal responsibilities. We are trying to ease their pain… Read More

Merry Christmas 2016

December 24th, 2016
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Photo Courtesy of Victoria Magazine Just like you, I have surrounded myself this past week with rolls of wrapping paper, scotch tape, ribbons and layers of tissue paper as I have carefully and lovingly wrapped Christmas presents for my family and friends. Some of the presents made me smile for they brought back how I felt when I found the particular item and how I immediately knew it was the right gift.  Score! But as I came to the presents that I had bought for my parents they seemed woefully inadequate. My parents are now in their eighties and at… Read More

Me As Buddy The Elf

December 20th, 2016
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Photo Courtesy of Country Living This holiday season I feel a bit like Buddy from the popular Christmas movie, Elf. Remember the scene where Buddy the elf, who is magically played by Will Ferrell, travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his father and explains to his new family that elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup? That would be me this holiday season.  Except for the candy corn, which I have never liked because I think it tastes like some kind of plastic or wax.… Read More

Give Yourself A Break

December 11th, 2016
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Giving is fun. Whether it’s something you meticulously made with your own hands or something you spent a long time searching for, giving to others is a wonderful feeling. I sometimes feel that giving a present to someone is more exciting than receiving. Watching the other person’s reaction while they are opening your gift is part of the fun and contributes to that good feeling of giving and letting them know they are special. During this holiday season, which can easily turn frantic as we get closer to the time of celebration, I think it is also important to give… Read More