Jennifer Goble Hope is fundamental to our daily needs. Emily Dickinson wrote, “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers.” Wings help a bird rise to safety, have fun, fulfill a purpose, enjoy friends, and gain a broad picture of the world. Hope does the same for us humans. Without hope, we risk its opposite, hopelessness—a shallow, disparaging place. People can feel hopeless when … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
When someone shows you who they are, believe them
Jennifer Goble A phone client, in tears, presented this amended scenario: “I met a wonderful man a month ago, and we were immediately attracted. We have seen each other every day since we met. We were so happy! He invited me to dinner on my birthday and then made lame excuses and never showed up. He only returned one text, and I am confused and lost. I love him. Should I give … [Read more...]
Envy is natural—jealousy debilitating
I bought a painting a few years ago that shows a Victorian setting with one man and three women; all dressed as if going to a dance. The artist named the painting, Envy. It suggests the women compete for the one man. Jealousy and envy, often used interchangeably, are not the same thing. One feels envious if another person has a great haircut or warm jacket on a cold day. On … [Read more...]
Mother’s Day invites the topic of happiness
On this first Wednesday in May, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. THANK YOU to all the moms, grandmas, aunts, friends, and neighbors who love and contribute to raising productive, responsible adults. I hope Sunday brims over with calls, cards, and hugs! Thinking of the joyful celebration in honor of mothers invites the topic of happiness. I often hear, “I just want to be happy!” Forest … [Read more...]
Death comes to me and you—it’s built into life
April 29th, two days from today, 2022, is the first anniversary of my husband’s (Cal) death. It seems a grieving update is in order. Please remember everyone’s experience and healing after loss is individual. My process is no more correct or messed-up than yours—every path of grief has a story, and this is mine. May it help yours. As minute details of Cal’s cancer and death … [Read more...]
None is easier than one
I’ve never claimed to be an addiction counselor, but I have seen and experienced the hurt and destruction caused by addiction. Addiction can ruin, dilute, disguise and even kill a person. It can do the same to friends and family. It can make a person and the people around them feel dark inside. It is not a good thing. I can usually find good in anything, but not in harmful … [Read more...]
The vultures are back
Walking my little grand-dog on April 3, I saw Turkey Vultures playing in the sky. My neighbor said he first noticed them on April 1 and counted forty-something of them the day before. He previously told me their exact arrival date in the spring and departure in the fall. Maybe they contribute to the saying, “Creatures of habit.” The vultures are ugly with their featherless … [Read more...]
Maybe I need to rock a while
Getting old is like a gorgeous faceted diamond with inclusions and blemishes. Every morning is like a coin flip—I can win the bright, sparkling side or the side with a bit of damage. Either way, I can open my eyes, put my feet on the ground, look in the mirror and say, “Today is going to be a great day because I said it would.” I thought I’d figured out getting older by … [Read more...]
It’s a ‘shake it off’ season
Friday is April. Yay! It feels similar to approaching graduation—hope for the future. Sunshine, flowers, and time on the patio will soon replace dark, cold days. I enjoy the seasons. Sure, it is nice not to shovel snow and plan the day before looking out the window, but the ebb and flow of the seasons add joy to my life. My granddaughter tells me, “Grandma, we should only … [Read more...]
Join me in saying, ‘Kudos—you are stars’
Since 1987, the United States and other countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, have designated March as National Women’s History Month. I, for one, have been lucky to be in the presence and influence of ordinary women who continually step up and into situations where reasoning, support, or change is needed. I’m not reducing the achievements of great women in … [Read more...]
Know, understand, and repeat.
On this 11th Wednesday and 75th day of 2022, I want to be the first to remind you there are 284 days until Christmas. The good news is it’s only four days until Spring, and it’s the birthday of comedian Jerry Lewis–born under the Zodiac sign of Pisces. Why is that information relevant? It isn’t. It’s just a lead-in to my topic today, happiness. Don’t we all want to be … [Read more...]
Inside doorknobs help it happen
If you say yes when you want to say no, you need better boundaries. You need better boundaries if you say nothing or stay in a relationship after being treated poorly. If you sense that someone expects you to give them your last dollar or the only ten minutes you have free all day, you need better boundaries. If you are more concerned with someone else’s happiness, you guessed … [Read more...]
We want physical and mental health holding hands
Here we are in March, and the wind outside my window makes me think of the expression, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” I envision March teetering on a fence, wondering whether to jump to the side of winter or spring. Mental health is a little that way—a balancing act. I’m always talking about mental health—what is it anyway? We have physical health, … [Read more...]
Allow for happily ever after
My niece texted me a poem called My Brain And Heart Divorced by John Roedel. It was a clever take on how our thoughts (head) and desires (heart) can conflict and affect our physical health. My sister is moving to Texas and needs to get out of a house she has called home for 35 years. It is challenging to downsize because she attaches sentimental value to most everything on … [Read more...]
How do you achieve, and right your wrongs?
Some people, by nature, see the whole big picture. I’m not one of those; I notice the detail. If looking for a house to buy, I would notice nail holes in the wall and the construction of cabinets. Big picture people, intuitive, more than sensing like me, would see if the house felt spacious or if natural light filled the rooms. Andrew Carnegie must have been one of those … [Read more...]