Here we are, approaching another Valentine’s Day. Am I wrong, or did we just get Christmas decorations stashed out of sight? At least both holidays favor the color red, just in case we missed the cinnamon-scented candle on the counter. The retail business doesn’t give us the option of forgetting; it reminds us to prepare. February 14th is bittersweet for me and many … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
The Flock and Us
Jennifer Goble As I start writing, I can’t help but notice the publication date: 2-2-22. From my friend, Google, I learned a date when all the numbers are the same happens at least once every decade. Numbers aren’t the only things that flock together. I’ve also noticed birds lately. When I owned the Old Library, I entertained myself by watching the turkey vultures who landed on … [Read more...]
Change is inevitable—staying static an option
Jennifer Goble We have little control over change happening around us. We are continually encouraged or forced to change how we think or operate. Looking back can be sweet, but if we fight change, progress, or whatever you choose to call it, we run the risk of less than optimal mental health. The results of being resistant can lead to fear, frustration, hurt, or … [Read more...]
Chickens have no teeth
I saw a large sign the other day: “A chicken doesn’t have teeth, don’t be a chicken.” I know I don’t get around much, but I wondered what in the heck that meant. Did it mean, don’t be a chicken, have courage? Upon turning to my friend, Google, I learned it is a slogan for a dental office. I thought, Oh, that makes sense. Duh! Truthfully, I didn’t know a chicken didn’t have … [Read more...]
Picture the January 1st snowfall
Jennifer Goble I’m writing this on January 1st and enjoying the sparkling white blanket of snow glistening outside my windows. The best part—it arrived with no wind. It lays peacefully undisturbed on pine trees, fences, and sidewalks. It’s beautiful. Maybe Mother Nature is exhausted after her tantrum in Boulder on December 30th. I hope the calmness of freshly fallen snow is a … [Read more...]
Don’t stress about what 2022 will bring
Do you remember Y2K when fear of the computer counting system triggered international anxiety before the calendar rolled into 2000? Fear raised its illogical head during other moments in history also: In 1825, some believed riding a train would rip a body apart; in the late 1800s, telephones carried the fear of people losing their privacy and using it to communicate with the … [Read more...]
In 2022 see The Person Next to You
OMGoodness, tell me it’s true—we are about to kiss 2021 goodbye. Add 2020 to this year, and we have nearly two years of COVID and all that goes with that, harshly divided political views, an angry Mother Nature, and personal losses. It makes me think of Toby Keith when he sings about thanking God for someone leaving—my someone being 2021. Hopefully, we have sharpened our … [Read more...]
Oh, by the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I picked my sister Vicky up at her house, and we went to celebrate Christmas with our older sister Zella who is in a group home. We giggled and colored in adult coloring books as if we were six or seven playing paper dolls in our childhood bedrooms. Zella loves jewelry, so I brought her a variety of four long necklaces she could slip over her head. As she opened each one, she … [Read more...]
Let a good day be the Outcome
I recently helped a friend edit her new book titled, Why I Stay, a collection of stories about why people choose to remain Catholic. A male author shared being diagnosed with a large malignant tumor on his kidney. Recalling his treatment and family trauma, he concluded that he was in a win-win situation. If cancer didn’t kill him, he would get to stay with his family, and if he … [Read more...]
Go with the flow and shift
Jennifer Goble I’m writing this the day after Thanksgiving, yet looking at this article’s publication date, the word “Shifting” is in my thoughts. Many of us over-ate yams, dressing, and pumpkin pie. Refrigerators were likely full of leftovers, and kitchens needed cleaning. I picture the zzzzz emoji, as nothing looked better than the recliner, yet Christmas is coming, and, … [Read more...]
Keep your kindness hat healthy and thriving
News alert: It’s December, and we know what that means—layers of joy stirred with stress. I’m not Ebenezer Scrooge; I love Christmas, but with the season comes overused credit cards, high expectations, and loneliness. From a mental health point of view, I have concerns for those with any mental health disorders such as phobias, depression, anxiety, or PTSD. From traveling to … [Read more...]
What we don’t appreciate depreciates
I wish all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving. I am undoubtedly thankful for YOU. The kind people at the South Platte Sentinel, beginning with Delinda Korrey in 2010, said, “Yes,” to this recently retired psychotherapist who wanted to continue her quest to offer mental health tips and thoughts through a weekly column titled “Mental Matters.” Instead of face-to-face sessions from … [Read more...]
What are your favorite moments?
Please forgive me in advance for what I might say in this article. My brain is compromised. One minute I’m healthy and feeling great, and the next minute, I’m coughing, choking, sweating, and feeling like my eyes are falling out of my face. The Saturday clinic had no appointments available, so I have swallowed everything in my medicine cabinet to help me survive. A creative … [Read more...]
Do what you can while you can
This week I was inspired by an article in the Fence Post: Your Trusted Source for Ag News & Information. “As iron sharpens iron: Stories of mental health from rural Colorado” was written by Rachel Gabel and published on October 29, 2021. Gabel is an agriculture journalist, author, and member of one of Colorado’s beef-producing families. The complicated subject is rural … [Read more...]
Women of all ages are pretty awesome
This week, I was impressed with many women in my life: Coffee with sweet friends at Brew Grit Pleasant long visit with an artist friend at Sterling Creatives Tickets from a dear neighbor for Saint Anthony’s spaghetti dinner Joining the family for a middle-school girls basketball game An extended visit from my oldest sister Time with a special cousin and aunt Attending the … [Read more...]