I don't like to feel regret. It is the worst feeling and there is nothing I can do about it. I tend to just suppress these feelings, ignore them and try to bury them but we all know this is not a good system. I visit a hospice patient every Wednesday after work and last week, I came up with a solution as I listened to him. He is a brilliant 88 year-old man suffering from Parkinson's. I always enjoy our conversations and always learn a lot from him. But he does have that tendency to always welcome me with everything that went wrong and all the things he regrets he didn't do or had to do or wished he...
I used to hire professional help through friends or people that "fell in my lap" who spoke Hebrew and it was comfortable; or just because the price was right and laziness was on my side. How did it all work out? I ended up with an "out of status" visa situation and was not able to leave the US for 5 years. My then lawyer thought it was OK to file a renewal without having the right conditions for approval. Then my dermatologist didn't think the black mark on my wrist was a problem. But for some reason I insisted on having it removed only to find out it was melanoma; thankfully in a very early stage. My accountant opened...
My good friend told me yesterday a story which made me think.... His mother didn't feel right in the middle of the night and felt she needed to get to the hospital right away. She lives on her own so she called an Ambulance and gave them her son's cell phone number to call. He did not get the call or who knows what happened, so he never showed up. She spent the night in the ER by herself. She is back home now and feeling much better. Who will I call when I am in need? I made a list of 5 people who I know will come immediately, no questions asked. Do you have 5 people to call...
More and more we hear about aging parents that many of you are busy taking care of. It is frustrating at times and mainly painful and exhausting. I want to share a tip my group of volunteers got a few years ago from a very smart social worker. She said that if a family can afford to pay for the physical care, she urges everyone to do so. The bathing, dressing, preparing the bed and caring physically will be covered so the care giver can be free to give the emotional support the patient needs the most. When we act out of guilt things get messy. We feel we are the ones that need to do everything so the cared...
Last week was the International Women Health week. There are so many ways to talk about our mental and physical well being and so many ways to practice them. I come to understand that my way doesn't have to be anyone else's way. I think that there is nothing wrong with eating eggs. My friend thinks it's really bad for you. OK! I know that for me the 3 things that help me stay sane and healthy are: * To always remember how temporary I am. * To eat everything that makes me happy just in moderation. * To try and come back to the present moment as much as I can. What is your way to stay healthy in...
