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...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
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...]
Every day cannot be good, great, or excellent
I couldn’t think of anything to write about this week, so I Googled nationaldaycalendar.com to see if 4-14-21 was a national holiday and could spark my creativity. I discovered the day is a National Day for Dolphins, Ex-spouses, Gardening, Pan American, Pecans, Reach High As You Can, and Look Up At the Sky. I have no experience with dolphins, although my kids swam with them in … [Read more...]
Time to get smart
Oprah Winfrey said about aging, “Every year should teach you something valuable; whether you get the lesson is up to you. Every year brings you closer to expressing your whole and healed self.” I’ve learned something valuable the last six weeks: I don’t bounce. I am glad to announce my closet now owns the walker, brace, and boot that allowed both legs to heal. Hallelujah! I … [Read more...]
Let light shine through YOU
Easter is the Christian liturgical annual central feast; it marks Jesus’ resurrection. Easter, in Western Christianity, is a “moveable feast” in that it is the first Sunday after the full moon and can fall between March 22 and April 25. This year, it falls on April 4, next Sunday. Easter seems to have kept its holy purpose. Churches are full. Pastors admit how good it feels to … [Read more...]
The pain of mental decline
One of my favorite movies is “The Notebook,” with the outstanding cast of Ryan Gosling and James Garner as Noah Calhoun, and Rachel McAdams and Gena Rowlands as Allison “Allie” Hamilton Calhoun. It is a love story about a woman with Alzheimer’s disease and her devoted husband, who reads their story to her every day with the hope of triggering her memory. What I took away was … [Read more...]
Bad things happen to everyone
Life doesn’t lack situations when it forces us to deal with illnesses, accidents, or natural disasters. Too bad we aren’t Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother with a magic wand to help us avoid or fix the unfortunate, inconvenient, and painful happenings of life. We can beg, plead, pray, live like a saint or a criminal, and be a billionaire or a pauper; none of it excludes us from the … [Read more...]
Men we call “Dad”
Today isn’t close to Father’s Day, but my dad, Lee Goble, died on March 9, fourteen years ago, and dads have been on my mind. My research on family systems found dads with only daughters were held in higher esteem than moms. If you imagine a Christmas tree, dads were the star on top. In general, boy’s relationships with dad are different than that of girls. Boys don’t want to … [Read more...]
Living alone or with someone else?
A writer friend told me a few weeks ago, “You write what you see; I write what I feel.” At first, I disagreed because I think my best work evolves from a fire in my belly. But I knew it was true; my sensing is more developed than my emotions. This week I decided to focus on my stronger trait and write about what I notice from people who live alone or with someone … [Read more...]
No slaves or freeloaders in healthy systems
I have always been intrigued by the study of family systems. My Ph.D. dissertation was about family systems with all-female siblings, women with no brothers, and only sisters. Psychiatrist Dr. Murray Bowen was one of the pioneers of family systems theory. His theory starts with the premise of the family being the primary means of understanding human beings. He suggests nobody … [Read more...]
Laughter is survival
Woody Alan said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Although I’ve always believed life is a combination of effort, skill, and events out of my control, I forget. I wake up in the morning thinking the day is mine to create, and then, wham, something unexpected hits me in the side of the head. Don’t get me wrong, I have ultimate gratefulness for my … [Read more...]
We need a GOOD love day
In all my years as a counselor, I found Valentine’s Day to be one of hope and high expectations, often followed by disappointment and hurt feelings. Domestic violence reported on this special day of love is very high. How does a day dedicated to loving turn into pain and tears for so many? (Always call 911 if you find yourself in danger of harm.) For many, Valentine’s Day … [Read more...]
Caught by the COVID
Jennifer GobleAs I write this, I have been in quarantine for 24 hours, and it is not my idea of a good time. One week ago, I had a little headache and cough, and my body hurt. Because we are in a hotel room for my husband’s outpatient medical care, I thought I should get a COVID test. Even though we’re in the middle of several massive medical centers, I had to find a testing … [Read more...]
Pickin’ up trash
Being in a strange city with little to entertain me, I often stuff six grocery bags into my purse, don rubber gloves, and take off walking to pick up trash. I chose a street I’ve cleared of debris before, as it was all littered up again. I’ve chosen to do this for a month or more, and I’m sure drivers-by think I’m on work-release or chipping away at community service, or … [Read more...]