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...]
Newspaper Column, "Mental Matters" published each Wednesday in the South Platte Sentinel Health Section
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...]
SOS is there for me
Many times in my life, I have thought that I should not be allowed to drive because of how little I know about vehicles. Today, I’m thinking the same about my iPhone. Last night, my screen went wacky. All the letters were giant, and I couldn’t swipe or minimize anything. Emergency services received an automatic call in my attempt to shut it down for resetting, and my three … [Read more...]
Learning improves our mental health
A former priest in my parish recited the names of the US Presidents backward as a brain exercise. Impressive. A friend tried, with no luck, to teach me to list the 45 men in order. I met an artist, John F. Thamm, who painted and exhibited all the presidents in art galleries. According to Google, over a trillion books have been written about these monumental … [Read more...]
Spread much-needed joy
Driving west on Main Street, I noticed a woman walking. She was thin, dressed in a mid-length plaid coat, and wore a stocking cap. We arrived at the stoplight, turning into Walmart around the same time. Instead of walking toward the store, she crossed the street and gave the man holding a sign some money. He shoved it in his front pant pocket. The woman and I entered the … [Read more...]
Be you, that’s it
Jennifer Goble (Courtesy photo) Roses, hearts, and chocolates—today is the day of love. Whatever you think about Valentine’s Day, it has been a thing since 496 AD, and the history of St. Valentine isn’t a bed of roses—it involves a decapitation. Valentine’s Day started as a religious event and has evolved into a mid-February day for us to spread love to our extra special … [Read more...]
Meet nobody, somebody, anybody, and everybody
While organizing art supplies, I found the following quote by an unknown author. The letters were rough as though typed on an old typewriter, and the business card-size paper was yellow and aged. The creative message entertained and challenged me years ago, and it still does today. I hope you too enjoy it: “This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and … [Read more...]