It seems the good, the bad, and the unfortunate are in the news, the neighborhood, and our kitchens. I think it’s called life. A recent experience triggered solid emotions and challenged my reasoning. I’m a bargain hunter, so I like estate sales, especially on Saturdays because anything left is half price. This particular sale had poor signage, and I nearly gave up before I … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
How do YOU control brain activity?
My last few months have been challenging—especially in the area of controlling what I allow to run around in my head. I’ve wondered why it is so difficult to remember and practice what I know to be true—what I tell you: “We have 100% control of our thoughts, and thoughts control our feelings and therefore our behavior. If we don’t like how we feel or what we are doing, we need … [Read more...]
Choices and voices—we all get them
What hits me first today is the date: July 28. How is that possible? I thought you might like to know there are 150 days left until, you guessed it, Christmas. In Colorado, we go from the sun and hot to sun and cold; mosquitos to icicles; and yard beautification to negligence. I’ve always said, “Colorado is hard to leave.” The four seasons are not as severe as when I was a … [Read more...]
What do YOU learn from movies?
This week, I had nothing going on in my brain to trigger a writing topic, so I did a marathon movie day. Movies take me out of my life and provide new perspectives. A movie is a story in pictures. Add emotions, and, presto, I have a path to thinking about what matters in life—what contributes to mental wellness. The first movie was 12 Mighty Orphans, a true story about a high … [Read more...]
What helps YOU live with less stress?
My life has been crazy these last few months, and because of that, I did nothing over the 4th of July holiday. Nothing. I slept late, took naps, cooked a little, cleaned a little, watched TV a little, and opened my computer once to play Myjongg.net. It was awesome. I can’t help but ask myself, “Why in the world don’t I do that more often? Why do I have to be on my last nerve … [Read more...]
Add sunshine to YOUR day
I bought a small fifty-cent book in a thrift store. I found the author’s name in the credits: Compiled by Dan Zadra. and Designed by Jenica Wilkie. The title of the book was Thank You. What caught my eye was the message on the first page: “Dad—Happy Father’s Day! I jotted a few notes by my favorite quotes! Enjoy! Ann.” As I turned each page, I found checkmarks, stars, … [Read more...]
I just plain miss him
When you read this, it is two months after the death of my husband. Those of us in the “Over the Hill” group are likely experiencing increased losses of family and friends, and I thought it might be helpful to offer my experience of the grief process to date. As I write this, I am in Estes Park, gaining insights from the Big Thompson River as it roars and tumbles toward Lake … [Read more...]
What brings YOU joy?
My granddaughter said, “Grandma, we should only buy and do things that bring us joy.” Her sweet and wise statement made me ask, “What brings me joy?” By the way, what brings YOU joy? This morning I walked outside, and the yard was clean and beautiful, and I felt joy. I have to admit neat, tidy, and little clutter brings me joy. I also had a call from the dermatologist with a … [Read more...]
The world needs fathers who have come alive
Theologian Howard Thurman (1899-1981) said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” (Not using illegal, immoral, or unethical options) Father’s day is Sunday, and I think kids need dads (and moms) who have come alive: Dads who like themselves and model … [Read more...]
Revisit and revise your thankfulness list
Today is May 26, and Google tells me it is the 146th day of the year, and there are 219 days left in 2021. It is the 21st Wednesday of the 22nd week and the 68th day of Spring. There are only 26 days left until Summer. The beautiful emerald is the birthstone for someone born on this great day, and their Zodiac sign is Gemini. What? Only 213 days until Christmas? The good news; … [Read more...]
I don’t know
We need twelve hugs a day to maintain. a high spirit, a sense of belonging, and a symbol of caring. Whatever a good hug gifts us, during my husband’s celebration of life (the day before this writing), I received enough wonderful, warm hugs to last me six months or more. Thank you! People asked me, “How are you doing?” I said, “I don’t know.” “Where do you plan to live?” “I … [Read more...]
Living the grief cycle
Many people, my age, have lost a spouse. I can spout the steps of the grief cycle from books and classes, but I lost my husband to a long, tough battle with cancer on April 29, and I’m a mess. The books haven’t prepared me for near-total lack of concentration and focus: the mental confusion of where I am in the physical world and zero short-term memory. Numbness makes me worry … [Read more...]
Mental health blossoms on inspiration
Jennifer GobleSometimes I need to be inspired: I get in a thinking rut, ruminate over something stupid I said or did, or can’t recover my displaced optimism. Simple words can inspire me if I pay attention: Eat, Pray, Love (book by Elizabeth Gilbert); Live, Laugh, Love (song by Clay Walker); Relax, Renew, Refresh; Faith, Hope, Family; and Dance Like No One’s Watching (All wall … [Read more...]
Isms are alive and harmful
Jennifer GobleI’m writing this a day after the guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin. The trial brought the conversation of racism to many breakfast tables. I recently watched a movie on the life of singer-songwriter Helen Ready, whose song, I Am Woman, became the women’s movement’s unofficial anthem in the early 70s. The movie highlighted sexism. I then enjoyed marathon watching a … [Read more...]
Help others find their spark, a.k.a. hope
A friend, whose husband had been in and out of cancer treatment for several years, called to tell me she met a woman who told her of a successful alternative to chemotherapy. After a brief recap of her conversation, with joyous excitement, my friend said, “My spark is back!” Her spark is what I call hope. Like magic, someone’s words removed “almost” from the doctor’s previous … [Read more...]