To all the fathers reading this column, I hope your Father’s Day focused on YOU. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing and experiencing fathers’ unique and invaluable influence on young and adult children. To all the men who have stepped up to the plate and embraced the roles of protector, provider, confidant, and friend to a child, I salute you. Whether you are a natural … [Read more...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
What do you want from your _____?
I read something this week that asked, “What do you want from your government?” After thinking about it for thirty seconds, I concluded that I want from my government the same things I want from my family, school, friends, and church: common sense, honesty, hard work, compassion, and communication. I don’t know about you, but I want people to get along with each other, even … [Read more...]
Blowing in the wind
I admit I strongly dislike wind–the blowing, not the turning knob kind. It can ruin, or at least spoil, what is ordinarily pleasant, such as picnics, track meets, farmer’s markets, or simply walking in the park. It can be my excuse for never leaving the house and binging on TV. Wind also contributes to undesirable emotions such as low mood, sadness, or depression. Sitting in … [Read more...]
It’s that time of year
Now that Memorial Day is over, many have cleaned our yards and prettied our patios. It is a good idea to make and take the time to enjoy the fruit of our sore muscles as we wait for our garden harvest and blooming flowers. When I was much younger, I would watch friends and neighbors work in their gardens and flowerbeds for hours daily. They would rake, haul, clip, water, … [Read more...]
Musings of life, love, and laughter
An essential aspect of mental health is the ability to focus on the present or to look toward the future—not to get stuck in the past. Recently, though, I was at events (a funeral, alumni, and a visit to my former home) and was inundated with memories of people and long-ago times. It was refreshing and thought-provoking, and the pictures running laps in my mind have been very … [Read more...]
Nickels and dimes
Browsing Amazon, I saw my morning K-Cups range in price from $.33 to $1.09 each. I then saw my automatic monthly payment to Google amounts to $.20/day. Out of curiosity, I calculated my daily Sterling expenses for other “necessities.” What does one DAY of living cost? Car insurance: $6.00 HOA fees: $6.50 Home insurance: $9.00 Property … [Read more...]
Embracing the inevitable
Please don’t think I’m just plain nuts, but I was so excited and emotional last week when the tombstone I designed and ordered in early 2023 arrived and was set in the cemetery three stones away from my mother’s. Maybe I was happy because I was pleased with the result, sad because it hit me as final, and grateful—my nephew and his family supervised the occasion in my absence … [Read more...]
May Day offers a reminder of the power of kindness
Opening my computer to write this article, I realized it’s May Day:-) The May basket tradition began in the 1800s when people marked May 1st by hanging baskets of flowers or sweets on neighbors’ doorknobs, knocking on the door, and running, hoping not to be discovered. May Day was a big deal when I was a kid with four sisters. We decided what unique May Day baskets to … [Read more...]
It’s okay to live while we live
In three days, it will be three years since my husband died, and I think the grief cycle has finally run its course. Four or five months ago, I consciously thought, “I’m better.” It surprised me, and I wondered how long I had felt the relief without realizing it. It seems now I am living with sweet memories that feel like a blessing instead of a loss. I’ve never been a crier, … [Read more...]
It’s not my trash, but it’s my town
Walking around town, I notice yards filled with so much stuff, much of which is unidentifiable. I’m being judgmental, but I just don’t get it. Why don’t people pick up, straighten up, or throw away? Many of these homes are in beautiful, well-kept neighborhoods where I see the pride of mowed grass and growing flowers. I wonder if those who collect stuff that flows onto their … [Read more...]
Mother Time doesn’t offer do-overs
Every week, as I open my “Sentinel” file and stare at the empty screen with just the date in the top left corner, I think of the saying, “Time sure flies when you’re having fun.” In my world, it also flies when I’m not having fun. It just plainly flies. Time is an odd, curious phenomenon. We lose an hour and gain an hour with daylight savings time, but would we notice if we … [Read more...]
Balance is the goal and the magic key
Twice this week, I heard how important it is to be a human BEING instead of a human DOING. Shakespeare’s Hamlet, somewhere around 1600, said, “To be, or not to be, that is the question.” My question is, how does one separate being from doing? Praying or meditating is a great way to get inside ourselves, but both also require some doing: thought, intention, purpose, desire, … [Read more...]
It’s time to “Spring Clean”
Now is the time of year when we think about cleaning cabinets, clearing the garage, washing windows, tuning the lawn mower, organizing closets, etc. Replacing dust and grime with squeaky clean and the satisfaction of a house ready for summer is worthwhile. I don’t want to minimize the glory of “Spring Cleaning” our homes, but let’s also take personal inventory of what needs … [Read more...]
Wasting away
A high school friend I haven’t seen for years texted me this week and asked, “Is your life interesting?” I answered, “My retired life is a lot of work, strange, and boring.” Had it been a phone conversation, I might have explained more thoroughly. First, it is a lot of work because what I do is totally up to me—with no obligations, my days are long. Second, it is strange … [Read more...]
Hurt people, hurt people
Do you ever wonder why some people are mean? What causes their spite? Hostile people can be male or female, rich or poor, have any skin color, height, or age, and fall anywhere on the education scale. There is no valid description of a mean person. We do know despicable titles such as bully, jerk, murderer, rapist, thief, or child abuser are people who have likely received … [Read more...]