Because loss is a natural part of living, so too is grief a natural process that we need to understand. Most of us will be on that path sooner or later. Knowing some of the elements of healthy grieving sheds…
Doing Nothing
I’m taking a class on “Reflection” and our first homework assignment was to do nothing for 10 minutes a day; no reading, no music, no magazines or emails, no chanting, no singing, no meditation even! At first, I thought, Will…
Dog Gone
Why do they say “man’s best friend?” Surely, women and children are also succeptible to a dog’s unconditional love and bountiful affection. For me, Hickory, a golden retriever, was truly one of my dearest friends and companions for almost 15…
The Time is Now
What’s your relationship to time? Is “time on your side” or are you “running out of time?” Do you have “too much time on your hands” and find yourself “killing time?” Or do you live like there’s “no time like…
How to Be Happier Every Day: 6 Simple Ways to Improve Your Mood
It may be a new year, but is it really a new you? Let’s face it — it’s unlikely that you’ve suddenly acquired a new wardrobe, started a new career, found a new family, or overhauled your personality. Do not…
When Cancer Calls
On Friday June 1st, my beloved husband, Daniel, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He is one of the 112,000 people annually who receive such news. The following week he, at age 46, had his first ever CAT scan, his first…
Time to Bloom
She walked to the front of the room and slid a daisy into the vase. Speaking softly, almost as if to the flower, she murmured, “For my dear mother who passed away two months ago.” I was on the second…
Bucket List
I recently read the excellent book Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day As If It Were Your Last by Lee Lipsenthal, MD. Lee was a doctor, diagnosed with esophagal cancer, who proceeded to write a book about what he was…
A New Relationship
Sarah sat across from me with tears streaming down her face. Her husband was killed in a car accident three years ago and now she had entered into the first romantic relationship since her husband’s death. “I don’t understand how…
Peaceful Relationships
I recently listened to a guided meditation that was not only interesting, but quite enlightening. The soft female voice asked me to “jump into my partner’s body.” I thought to myself, What? “Don’t think too hard about it, just leap,”…