Learn from the past, but bring it forward. I’ve noticed that people my age (58) have a tendency to live in the past. I’m as sentimental as they come, but I had a come-to-Jesus-moment a few years back, and I’ve been in pursuit of bigger and better ever since. Mostly, in a New and Better Me. Looking back made me miss a lot of things. I moved from New York when I was 15, and pined for everything about it for 40 years, holding everyone I met to a standard. And when you do that, of course you’re judged in […]

My sister’s untimely death has taught me that I’d better start looking at the gifts people bring me BEFORE they pass, not after. Or I’ll forever be picking up the phone to call someone who can no longer respond in the flesh. As always I have to end on a positive note! The photo: speaking of death, I spotted this little guy-girl on the sand while talking on the phone to my daughter. Since it wriggled when I picked it up, I tossed it back into the ocean. On my way back from my 4-mile walk, there it was again. […]

My tongue is killing me, from biting back words! God is testing me, as always. This happens whenever I make a proclamation to the Universe. Lately, I’ve been encouraging behavior with the use of the hashtag “BeNice!” because I believe there is an epidemic of loneliness in our country that is creating meanness. Lots of us are operating at a deficit of love; still, someone has to go first to break the cycle. And for those of us who much has been given, much is required. Which is I’ve been trying to practice my beliefs. Such is the reason for […]

How to survive a trip to the hospital. A long time ago I was greatly influenced by the work of Dr. Bernie Siegel, an internationally recognized expert in the field of cancer treatment and complementary, holistic medicine. His research showed that “problem patients” had the highest survival rates. And it is because of his insights that I became the animal I am today with regards to dealing with hospital staff. That animal extends to both my past work with doula clients, and now, with dealing with unhealthy and aging family members. I’ve “saved” many women from unnecessary cesarean sections by […]

Yet another reason why I ventured from the straight and narrow, and over to alternative medicine! This time: my oldest brother has been in the hospital for going on two weeks, lingering on a ventilator, in a medically induced coma. He presented with his throat so swollen that he couldn’t breathe. After a week, since he had just come back from Nicaragua, I asked the ICU nurses and doctors to please run a Toxicology Panel to see if he had ingested something down there that he might be severely allergic to. But probably because a lowly woman had asked, and […]