Episode 8 from my Podcast: Journey from Grief to Healing: M encouraged me to journal as a way to get in touch with my emotions related to my grieving and accompanying suffering. I didn’t realize the depth and breadth of emotions I had been repressing as I grieved. I discovered journal is a big help in working through grief. You can listen to the podcast at this link on check it out on your favorite podcasting app.
https://raycalabrese.podbean.com/e/episode-8-grieving-and-suffering-touched-every-line-in-my-journal/
Month: December 2023
It’s Time to Exercise Your Brain – Take the Anagram Challenge
Today’s mind sharpening anagram is a two or three word phrase. Can you unscramble the anagram to discover the two or three word phrase? It’s time to exercise your brain!
Today’s Anagram:
Today’s Inspiring Quote by Shelley Tells us Not to Fear the Future
Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
“When the Shy Star Goes Forth in Heaven” A Poem by James Joyce
When the Shy Star Goes Forth in Heaven by James Joyce
When the shy star goes forth in heaven
All maidenly, disconsolate,
Hear you amid the drowsy even
One who is singing by your gate.
His song is softer than the dew
And he is come to visit you.
O bend no more in revery
When he at eventide is calling.
Nor muse: Who may this singer be
Whose song about my heart is falling?
Know you by this, the lover’s chant,
‘Tis I that am your visitant.
Cut Back on the Stress When Relatives Visit for the Holidays
The Christmas holidays are here. I asked ChatGPT to provide 5 ways to cut down on the stress when relatives visit. Here’s what ChatGPT offered:
Managing stress when relatives visit during the holidays can indeed be challenging. Here are five strategies to help you keep stress levels in check:
- Plan Ahead: Before your relatives arrive, plan the logistics of their stay. This includes meals, sleeping arrangements, and activities. Having a schedule can minimize last-minute scrambles and misunderstandings. If you’re hosting meals, consider preparing dishes ahead of time or opting for potluck-style gatherings where everyone contributes something. This not only eases your workload but also gives everyone a chance to share something they enjoy.
- Set Boundaries: It’s important to establish boundaries with your visiting relatives. Communicate clearly about your schedule, personal space, and any house rules you might have. If certain topics of conversation are known to cause tension (like politics or religion), gently steer the conversation away from these areas. Remember, it’s okay to take time for yourself and not feel obliged to entertain guests at every moment.
- Delegate Responsibilities: Don’t shoulder all the responsibilities yourself. Involve other family members in hosting duties. Assign tasks such as setting the table, entertaining the kids, or preparing parts of the meal. This not only eases your burden but also fosters a sense of teamwork and togetherness.
- Create a Relaxing Environment: Keep the atmosphere calm and welcoming. You might play soft music, light scented candles, or ensure that the house is comfortably warm or cool, depending on the weather. A relaxed environment can have a surprisingly calming effect on everyone, including yourself.
- Practice Self-Care and Mindfulness: Remember to take care of yourself. This can be as simple as taking a few minutes to breathe deeply, going for a short walk, or engaging in a brief meditation or prayer session. Keeping yourself centered and calm can greatly influence how you interact with your relatives and manage stress.
Lastly, try to maintain a positive outlook. Holidays are a time for making memories and reconnecting with loved ones. Keeping things in perspective and focusing on the joy of togetherness can help make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.
Today’s Joke: Joe’s Going Bird Watching
Joe: “My girlfriend and I are going on a bird watching vacation.”
Pete: “Where are you going?”
Joe: “We’re just going to wng it.”
Thinking Out Loud: It’s Been a Good Year
2023 is quickly coming to a close. How has the year been for you? It’s been a good year for me. Here are 6 things that went well for me.
- I’ve been healthy. I hit the gym five days a week. It feels good to sweat and see the gains I’m making.
- I’ve made lora of friends. I make an effort to meet people. I take an interest in them. I’ll try to make a friend with anyone who passes my way.
- I’ve enjoyed blogging each day. I have a personal goal of spreading hope and good news wherever I go. Blogging helps me to do that.
- I am tight with my five daughters. We either talk or text every day. I have their back and I know they have my back.
- I have the best neighbors. We care for and watch out for each other.m
- And, I’ve maintained my no quit, never give up attitude throughout the year. If I get down, I get back up and start moving forward again.
Optimism is going to be the topic for the next couple of weeks. Optimism is a great way to close out the year and begin 2024 with confidence that it is going to the be year yet.
“O Gather Me the Rose” – A Poem by William Ernest Henley
O Gather Me the Rose
William Ernest Henley
O gather me the rose, the rose,
While yet in flower we find it,
For summer smiles, but summer goes,
And winter waits behind it.
For with the dream foregone, foregone,
The deed foreborn forever,
The worm Regret will canker on,
And time will turn him never.
So were it well to love, my love,
And cheat of any laughter
The fate beneath us, and above,
The dark before and after.
The myrtle and the rose, the rose,
The sunshine and the swallow,
The dream that comes, the wish that goes
The memories that follow!
Are Fish Oil Supplements Doing the Job?
According to a report from Harvard Health Publishing, taking fish oil capsules may not be providing the health benefit you believed they did. Read on.
Millions of Americans — including one in five people over age 60 — take fish oil supplements, often assuming the capsules help stave off heart disease. Who can blame them? After all, the product labels say things like “promotes heart health” and “supports healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.”
“People will often say ‘I don’t like eating fish, but I know it’s good for me. So I’m taking this supplement instead,'” says Preston Mason, a faculty member in the Cardiovascular Division at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital who studies the unique fats found in fish oil, known as omega-3 fatty acids.
Here’s the catch: Studies dating back more than a half-century find that people who eat fatty fish tend to have lower rates of heart disease. But over the past two decades, multiple randomized trials pitting fish oil against placebos show no evidence of heart-related benefits from fish oil supplements. While the supplements do provide omega-3 fatty acids, there are better ways to get these essential fats from your diet (see “Three key omega-3s”).
Three key omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered “essential,” which means people must get them from their diet or other sources. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel are good sources of two omega-3s: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
Another omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in many plants, including seeds, nuts, and some green vegetables. Your body can convert a small amount — about 8% — of dietary ALA to EPA and DHA.
Nutrition experts suspect that one reason fish eaters have fewer heart attacks may be that they eat correspondingly less red meat or processed meats, both of which are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.
Vegetarians (who don’t eat fish) and vegans (who avoid all animal-based foods) can meet their omega-3 requirements by eating plenty of ALA-rich foods, such as flaxseed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and soybean or canola oil. People who follow these plant-focused diets have lower rates of heart disease than omnivores, who include animal-sourced foods in their diets.
