ABC’s

Think about the last time you took a moment to marvel at a sunrise, watch a bird in flight, or deeply enjoy the sparkle of a starry night? Has it been a little bit too long? Winter in the northern hemisphere can make it difficult to get outside and revel in nature’s beauty. During the … Read more

As we stand here, at the beginning of the third pandemic year and the fifth pandemic wave, it is sometimes hard to remember how life used to be. For the bereaved, this time has been especially difficult as they may not have had the chance to say goodbye to their loved one or to mourn … Read more

In supporting folks with chronic or acute health challenges and at end of life, I find that one of the most important facets of comprehensive care is deep listening. When someone is not feeling well, caregivers cannot provide appropriate support without learning what the patient feels is most relevant, desired, and/or needed. Maintaining all our … Read more

Has there ever been a better time to engage in the wellness practice called kindness? As we face unprecedented challenges around every corner, we are often hard pressed to find happiness. Many of us are in the sandwich generation, caring for kids or companion animals, while also caring for aging parents. When we feel down … Read more

Greetings! It has been six weeks since my last blog post. Here’s a snapshot as to why the Wellness ABC’s features “J” for Journaling: On June 21st after many days of temps in the 90’s much of Flagstaff went to “Set” mode in the “Ready, Set, Go” wildfire evacuation protocol. That meant we had to … Read more

Over the years friends have asked me why I spend so much time on matters related to hospice, dying, and death when we are here to live life. My reply has evolved into this:  hospice care while dying offers living the best life possible until death arrives. People giving or receiving hospice care inspires me … Read more

Before I start in on happiness as a wellness strategy, I want to let you know that I have been out of pocket for the entire month of April. During that time, I moved not one, but two of my personal goal posts. The first one is about blogging. My goal is to write on … Read more

“G” is for goals now that spring is here. Goal setting is a practice that can be used time and again for living well. It has helped me in both my personal and professional life. It has been especially helpful when it comes to providing support for caregivers and patients with serious or terminal illness. … Read more

The March new moon has come and gone. My intention to write these blog posts while keeping time with the moon took a detour with news that Wayne’s father had died on March 4th. It was not really a surprise; Joe had heart challenges. Awareness of the inevitable, however, doesn’t lessen the shock when death … Read more

In the ABC’s for Living Well “E” can be for many things: enthusiasm, enjoyment, ease, energy. I decided on “empathy” because it is so multi-faceted. Learning about and understanding empathy, and the difference between empathy behavior and being an empath have helped me in my wellness quest. The awareness and intentional practice of empathy can … Read more