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...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
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...]
Thank you, Mother Nature
Isn’t autumn beautiful and fun? The vibrant colors, the slowing down of summer yard work, pumpkins everywhere, and a trick-or-treat holiday add up to my favorite time of year. I’ve never really understood the hoopla of Halloween, but I have many memories of great times while dressed up and acting silly. The most fun was when nobody could figure out who was under the mask. My … [Read more...]
Why not help make it pleasant?
I just had a big birthday, and thank you to everyone who shared wishes, cards, hugs, and time. I also watched a webinar on open enrollment for Medicare. One event makes me happy to be so old, and the other gives me anxiety. The birthday was grand, kind, and left me feeling loved. The health insurance was complex, overwhelming, and depressing. Almost everything in life has a … [Read more...]
Kudos to women with roots in the land
This Friday, Oct.15, is International Rural Women’s Day. I admire and respect rural women, and my website features their stories. I am also proud to be one. Raised in Akron, Colorado, and then a farmwife for 30 years, I am who I am because of rural roots and experiences. I relate to women who live, survive, and thrive in what I often call “God’s country.” This year, I had a … [Read more...]
How do YOU feed gratitude?
Jennifer Goble This past week, I went to Nebraska to visit my husband’s gravesite, and I want to share the experience because I did a lot of things right that helped me feel an extremely high level of gratitude—one root of happiness. The days involved were quite ordinary—easy visiting, nothing big planned, no effort put into every detail to ensure it went well. My dear … [Read more...]
First, second, and third rule: BE YOURSELF
Working is a privilege, and whether employed outside my home, a stay-at-home wife and mother, or starting a new business, life has taught me a lot about getting and keeping a job. Humility is a word that first comes to mind when I think back on my job searches. On the topic of humility, Norman Vincent Peale said, “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a … [Read more...]
Balance remembering, forgetting, and accepting
It’s been nearly five months since my husband died, and in the last couple of weeks, I can say, “I am doing better.” A bit of darkness has lifted, I focus more successfully, and looking forward is not as foreign. I close these weekly articles with, “Live while you live.” In the last two-plus years, when my husband’s illness began, and his health slowly deteriorated, I have … [Read more...]
What helps YOU to balance your thoughts and behavior?
I haven’t written about the power of balance for a while. Shame on me—balance is a magic ingredient in the recipe for mental awareness, health, and wellness. We’ll topple like a three-legged stool with one broken leg without it. Balance is a word we could, would, and should keep in our thoughts as we live each day. I have a friend who said, “I do everything in moderation.” I … [Read more...]
What does “Grandparent” mean to YOU?
Brad Pitt, an American actor and film producer, said, “I phoned my grandparents, and my grandfather said ‘We saw your movie.’ ‘Which one?’ I said. He shouted, ‘Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn’t like?'” Sunday, Sept. 12, is National Grandparents Day, and I, for one, think it is a worthy celebration. Grandparents are GRAND and deserve a day of celebration. My … [Read more...]