Posts Tagged: support

Washington DC Navy Yard Shootings

September 17th, 2013
Posted By:

There was something about the first email news alert that came into my work computer yesterday morning at 9:01 a.m.
“Reports of an active shooter at Navy Yard area.  Avoid that area.”
I don’t know if it was the time of day, the location of the shooter or the fact that it was a Monday that made me stare at the email and think, “This is bad.”  Unsure of what parts of the city my colleagues planned to go for meetings or appointments, I immediately forwarded the Navy Yard email to everyone in my office.
The “active shooter” the email … Read More

A Touching Moment at CVS

September 13th, 2013
Posted By:

I was in the CVS near my office a few days, popping in to buy something for an officemate. I was buying only one item so I stood in the self-checkout line. But then the regular line opened up.  A young African American woman behind the cash register waved for me to come on over to her register so I did. As she scanned my CVS discount card and my purchase, her eyes looked at the pearl necklace I had on.  Since her hands were full, she tilted her head in my direction. “I like your pearl necklace.” “Thank you! … Read More

Turn Around Solitary Man

September 9th, 2013
Posted By:

I felt very lucky and very blessed to be sitting in my worn and comfortable beach chair early yesterday morning, breathing in the soft air of Bethany Beach and watching the tide come in as the waves pounded the sand. For me, sun, sand and ocean are the essential elements for getting rid of worrisome and stressful thoughts and filling my inner reserves with hope and gratitude.  It’s a winning combination every time I need it.  The beach has never let me down.  Ever. I was in Bethany Beach this past weekend to help a very good friend sell her… Read More

Tossing My Plastics

August 30th, 2013
Posted By:

Staying healthy is job one for me. Every healthy tip that I can incorporate into my life is just one more thing that may keep me out of the doctor’s office as far as I am concerned.  I try to eat foods that are as fresh as possible, exercise whenever I can and verbalize my stress so that it doesn’t remain bottled up inside me and cause some kind of sickness.Recently I added a new health concern to my wellness list: avoiding plastics and/or preservatives.For years I used to bring frozen food products (read Lean Cuisine) to the office and… Read More

Two True Friends

August 21st, 2013
Posted By:

Knowing that I have at least one person in my corner, always supporting me as a true friend, makes life feel less scary and full of many more possibilities.I can almost bear anything if I know my friends are holding my hands and understanding what I am trying to do and say.Friends for life, friends until the very end, this is the unique gift that Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe gave to each other. “Just Kids” is a beautifully, beautifully written memoir by Smith.  You may know of Patti Smith from her infamous Horses album and also from her magical… Read More

The Kindness of Nurses

July 23rd, 2013
Posted By:

Have you ever been in an emergency room at 2 am? Unfortunately, my son and I found ourselves there Sunday night because we needed to take my Dad to the hospital for medical attention to various issues that by themselves were not a big deal, but taken collectively, for a man in his 80’s, they added up to a serious situation. The doctors agreed about the seriousness of my Dad’s symptoms but didn’t decide to check him in until after midnight and then he was finally assigned a room around 2 am.  By the time we got home, it was… Read More

Moon Landing

July 20th, 2013
Posted By:

Today marks the 44th anniversary of man walking on the moon. It is a historic date and a landmark event that people today still use as a standard or a call for national action on an issue as in “if we put a man on the moon then why we can’t we…….” I think most people remember where they were when the moon walk happened. With all the lights off in the living room of my parents beach cottage, my siblings, our parents and I watched the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime event live on television with the rest of the world.  We… Read More

Parents Are Human Too

June 28th, 2013
Posted By:

While celebrating my son’s birthday recently, he asked me once again what it was like the day he was born. I think every child likes to reminisce about the day of their birth and what everyone was doing as they were arriving into the world.  His questions about how long I was in labor, what was happening in the hospital and what Daddy was doing were expected. But that conversation evolved into a bittersweet conversation about his Dad and some of the frustrating health issues he had before his death.  His Dad (my husband) was diabetic and injected insulin.  He… Read More

Renewing Friendships

June 12th, 2013
Posted By:

Academy of the Holy Cross Yearbook 1972 Making friends for the world to see Let the people know you got what you need            ~ Elton John Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to catch up and renew friendships with two women who went to high school with me. Both women are incredibly talented and very smart: one is an internationally respected sculptor and the other is a retired teacher/photographer. They both look great and we easily fell back into conversation about our lives since high school graduation which was (unbelievably!) many decades ago. We lost… Read More