living well and dying with dignity
This one is especially close to my heart because of the community response to meeting Wayne’s needs during cancer treatment as well as his time in hospice care. There were countless volunteers helping with shopping, cleaning, meal prep, driving to appointments, and social support. These kind acts were in addition to practitioners offering pro bono … Read more
In the A,B,C’s for Living Well, understanding has many dimensions and applications. This word has a complicated and mysterious etymology that includes both Old English and Latin. Scholars cannot agree on exactly what the “under” is all about as a prefix, as the root meaning of “under” is beneath or below. Also, the “stand or … Read more
As a child, I recall standing on the long dock with my cousins at their lakeside cottage in upstate New York. We all had our own way of getting into water that was often cold and could be hiding underwater reeds that grasped at our ankles; or worse yet, eels! Some of the cousins just … Read more
Once it becomes clear that something is testing our patience in regard to health or wellness, exploring the discomfort can happen in a number of ways. The phrase Testing 1,2,3 is most often used in testing audio equipment to ensure that the audience can clearly receive broadcast messages. In this second installment of “T” is … Read more
“Testing” as a wellness strategy or practice? Yes indeed! There are three different aspects of testing that may be useful to discover, establish, or maintain wellness during every stage of life, including at the end of life. Because I have many thoughts about Testing, there are three areas for reflection. The first comes from the … Read more
Self-support and self-care go hand in hand as important wellness practices. Like other practices in the A,B,C’s for Living Well this is a reminder to “put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others in need.” Support literally means to bear all or part of the weight of something; to hold up. When faced with … Read more
“Respect,” like the word “practice,” is both a noun and a verb, with many different uses. Some of those uses include: in reference or regard to something (With respect to the current situation, I can see your point); an aspect or detail (This is a good plan in some respects); to hold in esteem (We … Read more
When faced with troubled times, a natural response is to question what is happening and find ways to “fix” it. The hope is that through finding answers, the turbulence will calm, or the difficult situation will improve. For the ABC’s of Living Well, I have selected “Questioning” for the letter “Q”. When we don’t feel … Read more
The dictionary defines practice in various ways. As a noun it can mean actual performance or action: I attend dance practice on Wednesdays. As a verb it can mean to habitually carry out or perform a particular activity, method, or custom, in order to acquire, maintain, or improve upon proficiency: I practice expressing gratitude each … Read more
According to the dictionary, the meaning of the word “organize” is to form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts, especially for united action. I don’t think that skillful organizing is a wellness practice in and of itself. But it certainly comes in handy when living through the crisis of a … Read more