See the girl in the purple tee? See her I-can-do-this mojo? – I want me some of that!
Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.
— William Wordsworth
Recently a friend gifted me with a journal – a beautifully bound, preciously blank book. But, to my chagrin, I find that the pristine pages intimidate me.
I’m Breaking Out My Catcher’s Mitt
We have a great deal of freedom to choose exactly how we will live … each day is made up of a myriad of ‘choice points’ and Morning Pages [daily journaling] creates our ‘catcher’s mitt’ for many small ideas that lead to larger breakthroughs…
— Julia Cameron
from The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size
When it comes to journaling I prefer Continue reading » I Go to the Jedi…
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
— Anonymous
We like to be in control. Even the illusion of control can make us feel less stressed and more comfortable than knowing that we’re not in control. Stress reduces both our brain health and our physical health unless we take positive steps to counteract its effects. When a loved one has dementia, we are definitely not in control of anything associated with their life and often we lose control over some of our lives as well.
If you’re a frequent reader of this blog, you know that both of my parents have suffered from some form of dementia. My mother died of Alzheimer’s disease and her sister has been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. My father has also been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease as well as bipolar disorder.
One of the things that I’ve discovered as we’ve traveled the journey through various forms of dementia is that Continue reading » How Not to Be Crazy
When in doubt, just take the next small step.
— Regina Brett
90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland
I’ve just finished Called Out of Darkness – A Spiritual Confession by Ann Rice. It is beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of New Orleans, Catholic liturgy and the Catholic Churches of the 1940s and ’50s. It was amazing to me both how different from, and how similar to mine, were her experiences.
In the middle of my listening to her book, all of the hubbub about Rice leaving the Catholic Church AGAIN became the subject of much discussion both on talk shows and on the internet. Listening to her describe her complete devotion to Christ and the Catholic Church at the end of the book and then reading her comments online made me feel very sad for her. But more than anything else, it made me envious of her certitude. I don’t know that I’ve ever been as certain as she is of all four stances that she took; first as a devoted Catholic, then as a certain atheist, then as an even more devoted Catholic and finally (at least for now) certain that she can no longer be Continue reading » Faith and Doubt
Answer: a bite at a time
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
— Mahatma Gandhi
Sometimes we think too much. Admittedly we often hear stories that make us wonder if some people ever think, but our predisposition to plan leaves us walking a fine line between thinking, planning and worrying.
In his book, Every Day Deserves a Chance, Max Lucado explains the secret to success in any long-term endeavor.
You last the long race by running short ones. Don’t swim 2.4 miles; just swim to the buoy. Rather than bike 112 miles, ride 10, take a break, and bike 10 more. Never tackle more than the challenge ahead. [emphasis mine]
When we face challenges, we often talk ourselves out of even trying because we project into the future. We don’t take it buoy-by-buoy or block-by-block or even day-by-day. We look at the expanse of time in front of us and think, Continue reading » How Do You Eat An Elephant?
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
— Thornton Wilder
It struck me after I’d posted NOT the Only One, that I’d missed one of the REALLY important benefits of sharing our stories – not only do we get to dodge the bullets that others have taken, we also can be inspired by their successes! Often the path before us is strewn with obstacles, and it’s easy for us to lose sight of the opportunities almost within our grasp. That’s where other people’s stories can spur us on, give us the confidence to begin, the confidence to carry on. For instance, if you’ve ever considered picking up your camera and getting Continue reading » Inspiring Confidence with Stories, Stages and Shakkei
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