We are two weeks from Christmas day. For me, (not referring to faith elements) Dec. 25, is the day balloons begin to deflate. Parties are over, gifts exchanged, tummies overflowing, and I’m exhausted. What is usually on my mind is cleaning up the mess and restoring life to normalcy. Christmas day brings a long whew at the end of a job well done. I’ve been told by many, visions … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
I hope you sense YOUR value
Jennifer GobleShero is a word I don’t see often. It refers to females admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. It reminds me of the RFD-TV show called FarmHer. The show focuses on women in agriculture and captures the stories of women and their connection to the land. Whether the word is hero, shero, farmer of farmher, I think about men and women I … [Read more...]
Thankfulness extends beyond obvious
Jennifer GobleAs I sit at my computer to write this week’s article on the topic of Thanksgiving, I am eating a Sees chocolate – it is a white Apple Pie Truffle. It is delicious, and I am thankful. Yum! I am grateful for the sweet, smooth, decadent filling plus the beautifully dipped chocolate melting on my tongue. I am thankful for the anticipation of pure delight as the … [Read more...]
Spark your creativity
I dedicated this past week to be creative. I dug out pencils, watercolors, acrylics, brushes, erasers, paper, and three old chairs. For weeks, I planned in my head and on paper how I wanted to decorate the chairs. I bought the chairs months ago, and on Sunday morning, when I laid a bed sheet on the living room floor for paint splatter, I knew I was ready. It was time. I moved … [Read more...]
Who am I?
Jennifer GobleI am an extroverted sensor, meaning I get my energy and information from the external versus the internal world. In other words, I notice things. This week was no exception. Something on TV asked, “What books do you have and use most in your home: A Bible, cookbook, or dictionary?” There was a feature on CBS Sunday Morning about a three-generation family who lost … [Read more...]
Learn to grow through loss
Loss, at varying levels, is prevalent in every person’s life. There is no elitism or prejudice in the world of loss; it attacks everyone. Loss involves not only death, but illness, jobs, financial security, relationships, home, personal belongings, or privacy. Having skills to work through loss is vital. People who have a protected, sheltered upbringing develop few tools to … [Read more...]
A time to be born, and a time to die
I don’t attend many funerals. Never have. It might be because my mother-in-law went to, seemingly, every funeral. Today, I think I understand why: she sincerely felt empathy for each family, she gained information and insights, and it was a legitimate excuse to go to town. This past week, I went to a Celebration of Life for a woman (let’s call her Helen) I loved and admired. … [Read more...]
Triskaidekaphobia
Jennifer GobleWhat? I have a Merriam-Webster Word of the Day post on my phone. I’ve always loved words, and I enjoy starting each morning with a new word. I read the definition, listen to the recording of how to speak the word, and delete it. I seldom use the word or even remember it, but I like words. This one stopped me because even after listening to the pronunciation, I … [Read more...]
Be a good human—you will like yourself better
October isn’t just a beautiful month; it is National Bullying Prevention Month. The purpose is to bring awareness and solutions to kids and schools. Most readers of this column are adults, so the focus of this article is adult bullies. Child bullies grow to be adult bullies. Why would they change? Bullying works for them; it gives them not just a feeling of power, but actual … [Read more...]
Comparing past and present
I’m writing this in Nashville, Tenn., while people-watching and enjoying my free Starbucks birthday pumpkin-spice-latte. Yes, it’s my birthday. I’m relishing phone calls and Facebook wishes; it is a great morning. A friend suggested I compare past and present birthdays for my column. With a looming deadline, I took his suggestion. What came to mind first was my mother, in her … [Read more...]
Happy October
Here we are, the second day of the tenth month — the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. We look forward to five Wednesdays of falling leaves, football, and chilled mornings, plus goblins and jack-o-lanterns when it’s over. Jennifer Goble I was born in October, and lucky to not be named October Olly. My daughter was born the same day 25 years later. I can … [Read more...]
We reap what we sow
At a funeral, the pastor spoke endearingly about the deceased and how he loved farming, and especially harvest. He said things like, “To harvest, you must sow. You reap what you sow. You reap more than you sow.” He spoke of quality seeds, readying for a timely harvest, and growing seed for future crops. Jennifer Goble As we are in the heart of autumn, the pastor’s analogies of … [Read more...]
Think kindly and practice compassion
I asked the woman sitting next to me where she was from, and she said, “San Diego. I used to love it, but not anymore.” I asked, “Why’s that?” She softly said, “The homeless.” Jennifer GobleOn a quick trip to Portland, I noticed groups of colored tents inside tree groves along the highway. In Arizona, a mile from our house, there is a young man nearly always sitting with his … [Read more...]
Habits are first cobwebs, then cables
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 him/her feel dark inside. It is not a good thing. Jennifer GobleI can usually find good in anything, but … [Read more...]
Everyday heroes
Jennifer GobleSomeone holds the door, helps with a flat tire, shares a smile, makes you laugh, or stops so you can make a left-hand turn. I call them simple acts of kindness or everyday heroes. They are not only soldiers, policemen, or firemen, but ordinary people who, for whatever reason, show up and save me. They are serendipitous—not planned or expected—random. I am sharing … [Read more...]