What energizes you? It may be different by the season of the year. In summer it may be long walks in the cool evening. In fall it may be raking leaves. In spring it may be planting a garden and in winter it may be filling bird feeders and waiting to see who shows up to eat the seed. It may be a glass of wine and blue stilton cheese or a cup of hot chocolate heaping with whipped crème. Sometimes we don’t take time for ourselves. It’s important to re-energize, life can be difficult on any given day. Spoil yourself a bit. Eat chocolate, drink wine, take a bubble bath, and be child-like for a few hours.
Archive for January, 2008
Living in Colorado we receive a good bit of snow in the winter. Just the other day I was wondering who decided that snow should be “white”? What if it was blue or yellow or another color? Just like when I was young and in school and drew a “blue” house. My teacher resolutely told me that there were no “blue” houses. The beauty of education is that if one looks far enough there is a book that shows designs of blue houses and one that tells why snow is white and one that tells you that whatever idea you have you can achieve if you try hard enough and plan enough. Just like there are books that tell us that aging can be positive and cancer if looked at from the right approach can be conquered. Never give up when someone tells you houses aren’t blue – see other wisdom.
So we’re near the end of January. What resolutions, if any did you make? When I was younger I used to make long lists and then just forget about them until the end of the year, realizing I didn’t accomplish any of them. As I age, I tend to make shorter lists of resolutions that I’m more likely to complete. A list of three is usually good for me now and one of the returning resolutions is always good health and exercise. Studies of older adults show that the general outlook on life is good until something that happens to affect day to day health. It’s when these chronic issues arise that daily satisfactions wane.
I grew up in the country, well sort of.
Doing something unexpectedly kind for someone is a great way to show that you care for another person. My husband is a great example of this in all of the little things he does for me and I’m sure for others he knows. Simple things like picking up a gallon of my favorite juice, making a fire in the fireplace, emptying the dishes from the dishwasher, going with me to the gym on a day he would rather sleep in. Often it’s the little things that irritate us about someone, but it’s also the little things we can take for granted that are just as nice. Do something nice for someone else today and notice their surprise. Make it a habit.
Ever hold a grudge against someone - a sister or a brother, a parent, a friend? These grudges become so less important when we’re facing terminal illness; whether the terminal illness involves a family member, a friend or us. The grudges even become gradually less important when we become ill and it’s not a terminal situation. Other larger considerations become more important. Quality time with family, friends, engaging in activities that have meaning for ourselves. If we hold onto anger and pain we can make ourselves sick. There’s the story of the man who cured himself of a terminal illness by laughter, by watching movies with a comedy theme for weeks on end. How great would this be if we could do this for ourselves, clearing out all of the old baggage?
The internet is a great place to do research on any topic these days. It almost makes libraries seem obsolete, however most libraries provide computer access to members. When I was young my mother took me to the library every Saturday for story time. We checked out books to read during the week and then brought them back the next weekend for more. This was a wonderful habit that my mother taught by example. She was a voracious reader, mostly of fiction. I’m fortunate I picked up her habit at an early age. Most of my reading is educational because of my profession. I still enjoy going to the library and browsing the shelves and coming home with a handful of books? What positive habits or hobbies did you pick up from your parents that you still enjoy today?
Ever try to change a habit? It can be like trying to move a huge boulder up a steep mountain. Sometimes it can be easier than we think if we make the change easy. Dr. Albert Bandura is well known in social learning theory which demonstrates that our behavior is shaped by observing others. If we can alter our physical worlds in a way that eliminates choices or habits (what we consider to be unhealthy or bad choices) we can change our habits. It’s like raising children to eat healthy snacks like fruit, and vegetables versus having stocks of candy in the house, or going to the gym on your way home from work before you get home and don’t want to leave again. What habits a have you changed and how were you successful?
Studies indicate that individuals who are involved spiritually and in religious communities have better long term health; not only because of individual beliefs but because of the social aspects offered by religious communities. How many of us were raised in a specific community i.e. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Baptist or other by our parents? How many of us still participate in these communities on a weekly basis. The research also indicates that as we age, we return to our previous spiritual communities for support.
When was the last time you’ve been to a nursing home – or for some, have you ever been to a nursing home? You might be pleasantly surprised. Many of our parents remember the nursing homes of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. Places that looked a lot like sterile hospitals with smells even worse. Nursing homes of years ago were more like institutions than homes. This is how they became associated with negative perceptions. Many nursing homes are working to become more home-like, with communal dining rooms, kitchens with snacks, common areas with laundry rooms and rooms that look more like home. What are your memories of nursing homes and how have they changed?
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