Mindfulness

With Fresh Eyes

On May 3, 2020 / Appreciation of Nature, Everyday Miracles, General, Gratitude, Home, Lessons from Nature, Mindfulness, Self-care, Sheltering

Spring and fall have been my favorite seasons for most of my life, yet I am seeing spring emerge with fresh eyes this year. As many of us have slowed our pace, verdant spring races ahead. I find myself acutely aware of its brisk transitions, and

Honoring Our Hands

On March 20, 2020 / Body Image, Counting Blessings, Everyday Miracles, General, Gratitude, Hands, Honoring Hands, Human body, Mindfulness, Self-care

This is an opportune time to celebrate our hands. The notion has percolated in my brain since John Ballew, colleague and friend, introduced it in conversation earlier this week. As a pandemic circles the globe, news reminds us daily about the risk our possibly contaminated hands poses

With Thanks

On December 30, 2017 / Appreciation of Nature, Counting Blessings, Enhancing quality of life, Everyday Miracles, Gratitude, Health Benefits of Gratitude, Mindfulness, New Year's Resolutions, Self-care

Did you know that being grateful is good for your health? There is ongoing research that links gratitude with improved self-esteem, resiliency, and improved overall satisfaction with life. Grateful people are better able to build new friendships and to strengthen relationships that already exist. Research also

Our Storied Lives

On August 3, 2017 / Dignity Therapy, End of life care, General, Legacy Work, Medical Care, Mindfulness, Palliative Care

As I celebrate another birthday, my head is full of tales. Birthdays provide an annual impetus to reflect on the past while simultaneously setting goals for the future. Gene D. Cohen, a pioneer in geriatric mental health and aging research, would say I’m entering the “summing

Sprinkles on the Cookie of Life

On June 30, 2017 / Art appreciation, Enhancing quality of life, Everyday Miracles, Mindfulness, Self-care

Have you ever been moved by a beautiful piece of music, transfixed by the creative genius of a painting or inspired by evocative imagery in a poem? This month, I had the gift of a weekend’s immersion in art. On a Friday evening, I attended three

Learning to Walk

On February 21, 2017 / Everyday Miracles, Mindfulness, Self-care

There’s a well-known, time-honored adage, “You’ve got to crawl before you can walk.” I believed it, too—until my granddaughter, Rory, taught me differently. Early on, Rory was a talker, and enjoyed intricate tasks with her hands. However, she didn’t seem the least bit interested in walking by

Reframing Hope

On January 31, 2017 / End of life care, Enhancing quality of life, Goals of Care, Hope, Mindfulness

One of the most common reasons doctors give for withholding bad news to a patient or a patient’s family (especially if it’s news about a life-limiting illness) is, “I don’t want them to lose hope,” or “I don’t want to destroy hope.” Interestingly, studies and interviews with

Preparing for Winter

On December 31, 2016 / Appreciation of Nature, End of life care, Enhancing quality of life, Goals of Care, Lessons from Nature, Mindfulness

There’s a stark beauty to winter trees. I’m fascinated by the intricacy of the branches that begin with thick, central trunks. They branch and soar and branch again, until there are thousands of delicate twigs pricking the chilled sky that surrounds them. The anatomist in

Enforced Happiness

On November 28, 2016 / Enhancing quality of life, Holiday Stress, Mindfulness, Self-care, Time Outs

‘Tis the season to be jolly. But what if you’re not? I’m revisiting one of my articles from December 2000 this month, because the subject is very much on my mind. Each year, from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day, we enter the Season of Enforced Happiness. Merchants

Carefully Crafted Goals

On October 30, 2016 / End of life care, Enhancing quality of life, Goals of Care, Mindfulness

“The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped.” –Arthur Schopenhauer Fundamental beliefs and core values are important in many major decisions, none more vital than the goals of care we establish for ourselves when experiencing a serious