Change and challenge
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A no-regrets guide to caregiving
“There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” ~Rosalyn Carter As our loved ones age — and as we age — caregiving becomes a reality we must face, one way or another. I learned during the first year of my widowed mother’s illness that caregiving duties can take a toll on you, especially if you’re not prepared. Written in retrospect, my “No-regrets Guide to Caregiving” appears this week online in The Oakland Press, and in the September print issue of Vitality. You can read it here.…
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Seek the life force
“There is a force within that gives you life. Seek that. Ignore those who make you fearful and sad.” ~Rumi In the early days of the pandemic, there wasn’t much to do besides hang out at home and follow all the bad news on TV or online. More than ever, the country was steeped in viral fear, coronavirus body counts, political turmoil, and partisan anger. It took a huge toll on everyone, impacting our collective mental health as well as our personal relationships. Every crisis survivor will tell you that you can’t walk the road to recovery without believing that something better is entirely possible. A stubborn, negative attitude will only get you…
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Vacation
“It is always our own self that we find at the end of the journey. The sooner we face that self, the better.” ~Ella Maillart, travel writer For most of us, to go on a vacation means to “vacate” our place of residence and our routines. We might go in search of adventure or excitement, or to experience something different. We might look for something new to learn. Or we might retreat quietly for rest and reflection. In doing so, we learn more about ourselves — what matters to us; what we want from life. I think the best vacations send us home feeling refreshed, renewed, and even changed for…
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Who’s in control?
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” ~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free “She’s/He’s a control freak!” I hear the phrase all the time, and I’ll bet you do too. Anytime we encounter folks who can’t resist taking over the wheel, or get wigged out when things don’t go according to their plans, we call them control freaks. Control freaks typically insist on taking the lead, and will even clean up our mistakes while they explain how to do it better the next time. Control freaks can…
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Rescue mission
“I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.” ~Anna Quindlen Who hasn’t wished to be “rescued” at one time or another? Who hasn’t felt like a victim of circumstance? It’s always tempting (and probably instinctive) to blame outside forces when things go wrong. When life doesn’t turn out the way we’d hoped or planned, we can point a finger at our scary parents, family history, the economy, bad weather, construction traffic, the government, unforeseen events, or even lousy genes. …
