by dlb916
Platitudes. We hear them often. The well-meaning comments intended to soothe or assuage: My boyfriend ghosted me – Plenty of other fish in the seaMy father died – Heaven just gained another angelWe had a miscarriage – You can always try againI have cancer – God never sends us more than we can bear. I …
by dlb916
A few months ago, a patient’s mother sent me a beautiful composition she had written about the time we spent together during her son’s illness. It brought me to tears. It’s not that I said anything profound, but to her, it was meaningful. I am honored and grateful she shared her memories with me. …
by dlb916
I used to regret a lot, like all the time. I regretted doing things and I regretted not doing things. I even had a t-shirt that had ‘Nothing is more painful than regret’ printed on the back. (I was serious about regret.) After years of rumination and hindsight, I regret to inform you, regret is …
by dlb916
Have you ever been wrong? I mean 100% certifiably incorrect. I found myself in that position recently. For years (like decades), I thought ameliorate meant to wipe out. In reality, ameliorate means to make better. This revelation came as quite a surprise. If you are a lover of words like me, imagine my shock when …
by dlb916
I am not a fan of the word retired. For many people of a certain age, their lifelong goal was to retire, leave the rat race, and enjoy a life of leisure. In 2021, retirement is being postponed for all kinds of reasons, most of which necessitate working well beyond the golden age of 65. …
by dlb916
I am blessed to have a mom that always knows exactly what to say: “If you don’t tell me when something’s wrong, how will I know what to pray for?” “I don’t have a favorite child; all seven of you are my favorites.” “Cindy, Denise, Gary…whoever you are, quit doing that.” “Just think what he’d …
by dlb916
When Gregg Allman and Eddie Van Halen went to the SRO gig in the sky, the soundtrack of my life went with them. It’s not that I don’t enjoy all types of music, it’s just that those two were my jam. Feeling sad and melancholy, listen to the Allman Brothers. Wanna rock out, turn up …
by dlb916
I once thought turning 21 was an automatic entry into adulthood. The clock strikes 12, the 21st birthday arrives, and adulting commences. Now that I have myriad decades of experience to draw from, I now know adulting is cyclical: Leaving for college – quasi-adultingInvesting in college – adulting Vacationing without your parents – adultingVacationing with …
by dlb916
The word surrender has gotten a bad rap. I think a lot of people hear the word surrender and envision waving a white flag and conceding defeat. The battle is over. There is a definite winner and loser. Visions of fight or flight come to mind. However, that’s only one definition. A kinder, gentler version …
by dlb916
Recently, a friend was purging her wardrobe and invited me to choose whatever I liked from her discard pile. As we approached her closet, she asked innocently, “What size are you?” That very innocuous question stopped me in my tracks. Over the years, I’ve been a size 6, a size 12, and everything in between. …
