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
Uncertainty
Uncertainty is a staple of life, but it seems especially prominent nowadays. My ability to handle it is wearing thin, I must admit. The constant waiting for an answer, the frequent sense of what ifs and unknowns, build up to an almost intolerable crescendo at times. One example is the question of when we willContinue reading “Uncertainty”
A year ago
Lately, I have been thinking quite a bit about where things were in my family a year ago. It was a desperately difficult time, filled with daily grief and anguish over the hospitalization of one of our children who was in a very bad state. My wife and I were driving each day to andContinue reading “A year ago”
As I expected
As I expected, I didn’t get the job. I wasn’t even given the courtesy of a preliminary interview. As much as I thought I was prepared for this, I really wasn’t. The past several days have been a haze of really difficult and complex feelings, but the predominant one is grief. I grieve because itContinue reading “As I expected”
Pessimistic
I must admit that it continues to be a daily challenge to find encouragement and comfort in this pandemic time. And then, here in the U.S., even if the current regime is routed in next week’s election, which is not a certainty, there is the real possibility of reactionary actions from those dissatisfied with theContinue reading “Pessimistic”
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”
