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Facing down fear
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt This week, I finally tackled a fear that’s been eroding my peace of mind for way too long. In the fall of 2019, I had an unusual experience involving a medical test that nearly put me in a coma, then left me with a wicked case of post traumatic stress. Most of my doctors advised against…
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Believe
“We were dreamers not so long ago. But one by one, we all had to grow up. When it seems the magic slipped away, We find it all again on Christmas day.” ~from “Believe” by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri Everything they say about seeing Christmas through a child’s eyes is true — but I’d nearly forgotten. Now that there’s a little boy in my life again, I’ve been rereading The Polar Express aloud at bedtime and rediscovering the magic of flying reindeer and jingling sleigh bells. Chris Van Allsberg’s award-winning picture book was published the year our son was born (1985) and was a holiday hit in our home…
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When you need time out
“I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” ~Audrey Hepburn The holidays are in full swing, giving us plenty of opportunities to gather with others. And that’s not a bad thing. Current research shows that maintaining an active social life is essential to our physical and mental wellbeing — right up there with exercising and eating healthy meals. Spending time with friends lifts my spirit and helps dispel my worries for a while. But as much as I enjoy good company, sometimes I get overwhelmed by other people’s energy. That’s…
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Riffing on a recipe
“Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need to look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own.” ~Julia Child One of my favorite cold-weather recipes is a spicy posole that was published in the “Pantry Raid” section of Better Homes and Gardens magazine more than 10 years ago. I’ve made this Mexican stew so often — sometimes trying my own variations — that I don’t need to make a list of the ingredients I’ll need before heading to the grocery store. Mastering any technique takes practice, whether you’re whipping up an omelette, knitting a scarf, or building a house. But as Julia Child advised, there’s…
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Goodwill and gratitude, all year long
“Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining. It bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.” ~Zig Ziglar Peace on earth, goodwill to all. Lately I’ve been wondering why these sentiments are limited to specific dates on the calendar. Last month, for instance, we all counted our blessings before slicing the Thanksgiving turkey, but resumed the habit of complaining about everything from corrupt politics to lousy football teams as soon as the good china was cleared from the table. As Christmas approaches, our hearts soften again. We mail greeting cards declaring our hope for humanity and the belief that goodness will triumph over evil. We…
