With relatively short notice, we decided to head north for vacation for a week, and are now nicely installed in our favorite cabin on the shore of a large lake, enjoying mild temperatures in the daytime and cooler temperatures at night. I’m writing this with my iPad on my lap, sitting in a camping chair,Continue reading “Vacation daze”
Tag Archives: mental health
The power of observation
A powerful yet simple truth is that we learn quite a lot from observation. I’ve been thinking about that this morning, and recalling incidents in which I developed and changed over my lifetime as a result of watching others. I can recall, for example, the great power of observing my grandma kneeling at her bedside,Continue reading “The power of observation”
Hope flickers
Change, including positive change, is rarely easy and quick. Yesterday, I happened to look back on all of the previous posts I’ve written and I found it encouraging and helpful to see the variety of emotions and circumstances documented in them. In particular, I sensed a pattern of ongoing change in them. Writing things downContinue reading “Hope flickers”
Walking
Walking — simply, walking — may be the key means by which I get better, physically. I’ve begun to walk 1-2 miles every other day. Honestly, it is not easy. It is quite hard, but at least it is something I can do to get some exercise. I don’t need special equipment or complicated instructionsContinue reading “Walking”
Perseverance
It is hard to keep going when hope is lost. And when hope is lost, it is surprisingly hard to get it back. These are some of the thoughts running through my head of late. This morning a Bible verse came to me: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he hasContinue reading “Perseverance”
Cumulative impact
The many ongoing uncertainties we face are having a cumulative impact. You know the saying, “once bitten, twice shy”? I think there’s a similar principle at work with the pandemic, economic conditions, injustices, poor government leadership, and more. Uncertainties tend to reshape our regular, “healthy” view of life in ways that we may not evenContinue reading “Cumulative impact”
Secrets and lies and photographs
Fifty years ago, a split happened in the Christian fellowship that my family was a part of going back at least two generations. The split was catastrophic, literally and figuratively tearing apart and destroying families all over the world, separating husbands from wives, parents from children and grandchildren, siblings from siblings, frequently by force. InContinue reading “Secrets and lies and photographs”
Fuzzy was he
A word I have begun to use a lot lately to describe my state of mind is “fuzzy.” The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word as “difficult to perceive clearly or understand and explain precisely; indistinct or vague.” Yes, I think that fits. It is hard for me to remember certain things and hardContinue reading “Fuzzy was he”
Certainty
Something most people want is certainty. Part of our collective struggles right now is a significant lack of it. Uncertainty breeds anxiety and fear and leads to all kinds of consequences. I’m convinced, for example, that the core issue behind disastrous support for the current U.S. administration is a wrongheaded reaction to lack of certainty.Continue reading “Certainty”
Artisanal, liminal, seminal
Sleep, lots of it, has been my modus operandi of late. I did mention that I am an Olympic champion at napping, and you don’t maintain that high level of achievement without lots of practice. In truth, however, I really have been tired and unfocused. It is hard to get anything substantial done, to musterContinue reading “Artisanal, liminal, seminal”
The OW Factor 