It’s a lovely space grown up with massive ancient oaks, and graves that tell the story of a family and a country.
A military honor guard of four uniformed Marines was present. Folding and presentation of the U.S. flag to the next- of-kin was precise, restrained, respectful, and tender. The black Marine who presented the flag to Betty was a woman—I only realized it when she turned to approach Betty, who murmured “You are beautiful.”
I am resting after two nights of poor sleep, the result of a battalion of hungry mosquitoes who discovered me while Aaron and I were helping rescue my brother David’s cat.
David is in Colorado. His wife Caroline is not what one would call a Cat Person. When their cat, Kitty, escaped outside the veterinarian’s office, Caroline panicked. The cat, understandably interpreting this as evidence that civilization had collapsed, ran into the woods.
David called us for help.
No Clue, but Lots of Curiosity….
Ask a question here, then answer in the next paragraph
My 65th birthday was a day of discovery. For one thing, I realized that 65 wasn’t nearly as old as I’d thought.
Well, yeah, there were the wrinkles. And the gray hair. And the realization that, after a lifetime of yoga and fitness training, stair rails were suddenly important. When had I even begun to notice stair rails?
But the day offered new questions. I’d been a wife. A mother. A friend. A writer. But mostly I’d been a therapist.
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Caduceus
I love snakes. Mind you, I wouldn’t like one as a roommate. I hear they’re hard to house-break, although I once knew pet boa named Raymond who lived happily with his Human.
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“It’s so hot!” “It’s so cold!” “Are you ready for Christmas?” “What are you doing this summer?”
Small talk. Dumb talk. Ordinary talk. (Of course it is hot! It’s summer. Of course it is cold! It’s winter. No one is ever ready for Christmas–and if they are, we don’t want to hear about it. And what am I doing this summer? Being hot and complaining about it!)
Yet I long for such small talk. The current conversational trends–“Are you staying safe?”
“Is your family okay” “Wearing a mask is a pain.” are well-meaning. But too often the question behind the question is “How are you staying sane?”
Insanity is the new normal. “If it bleeds, it leads,” goes the old saying about news reporting– and there is plenty of bleeding to lead. We’re bombarded with images ranging from the horrific to the utterly banal: Cruelty, hatred, stupidity, absurdity, exploitation, lies and distortions are everywhere. It’s overwhelming. It’s outrageous.
It’s predictable.
Many of us are still quarantined. We face endless days devoid of the structure that are sources of personal identity, or endless days and nights of care giving, housekeeping, worrying, and feeling inadequate. Living with family 24/7 makes for tension and cabin fever. And living alone gets–well, lonely.
Chronic Anxiety and Quitting Smoking
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Bipolar Illness
Question:
I am desperate to find some help for my brother, who I believe has bipolar disease.
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Lost in Life
Comment
I just got through reading your article, ‘Telling the Truth’ in the Fall 2002 issue of Integrated Health and Healing. Continue reading
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Question
I suffer from religious obessions and depression….. Continue reading
Praying With Anger
Daphne Stevens, Ph.D.
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“What’s wrong with me?” a woman asked recently. “I’m so angry all the time. I used to have the patience of Job, but since I hit my mid-forties, I get irritated at the least little thing.”