14Sep 2015 by CJ

Battling illness should not be a prison sentence

Life & Living
The other day I witnessed first-hand a wonderful site. There, amongst a crowded retail store, was a woman pushing a shopping cart. At first glance, the 60 something year old appeared to be like any other woman her age, though certainly walking more with the pace of a turtle than a rabbit. But soon it became evident that this woman was not like her counterparts – suffering from the debilitations of Alzheimer’s disease. And yet there she was, proudly pushing her shopping cart accompanied by her daughter – who obviously did not allow her disease to devalue their relationship. But perhaps what struck me most was what happened next. A geriatric nurse, who happened to be shopping in the same retail store, also took notice of the site I was…
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09Sep 2015 by CJ

Disappointments can be caused by high expectations

Life & Living
“Hope is itself a species of happiness, and, perhaps, the chief happiness which this world affords: but, like all other pleasures immoderately enjoyed, the excesses of hope must be expiated by pain; and expectations improperly indulged must end in disappointment.” Samuel Johnson I’m a dreamer – I readily admit that. My mind is always filled with some grandiose idea or ambition, which rarely (if ever) plays out the way it does in my head. Some might call that an overactive imagination – at this stage in the game I call it the perfect scenario for disappointments. Johnson’s statement above sums it up perfectly: “expectations improperly indulged must end in disappointment”. My expectations of life, people and experiences have always been extremely high. The caveat to that logic is when the…
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08Sep 2015 by CJ

Last wills and testaments can be cause for anxiety

Life & Living
Jack has died. His lawyer is standing before the family and reads out Jack’s Last Will and Testament. “To my dear wife Esther, I leave the house, 50 acres of land, and 1 million dollars. To my son Barry, I leave my Big Lexus and the Jaguar. To my daughter Suzy, I leave my yacht and $250,000. And to my brother-in-law Jeff, who always insisted that health is better than wealth, I leave my sun lamp.” - Anonymous Perhaps one of the most melancholy tasks to do in life than preparing last wills and testaments. You know, that little piece of paper that states who you want to leave what to when you die? Making decisions about what happens to everything you’ve worked so hard to acquire upon your death can…
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30Aug 2015 by CJ

Gossiping isn’t for building self-esteem

Life & Living, Youth
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”  ― Henry Thomas Buckle As harsh as this might sound, anyone who tells you they don’t “gossip” on some level is a blatant liar. Gossiping is as common and natural to human beings as breathing, and therefore is an unavoidable part of our social makeup. Dr. Peggy Drexler writes on psychologytoday.com, “Anthropologists believe that throughout human history, gossip has been a way for us to bond with others—and sometimes a tool to isolate those who aren’t supporting the group.” Drexler is 100% correct – gossiping does create a bond with those we otherwise would struggle to maintain a relationship with, by uniting others with a common interest. Sadly that “common interest” happens to be talking about others behind their…
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17Aug 2015 by CJ

Alzheimer’s disease is not a sign to stop loving

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s a miraculous and humbling sight to see a young grandmother holding her three-month old grand-daughter – especially when that grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease. It’s obvious the old instincts of motherhood (to which she is no stranger) are still very much alive and well (at least for a little while). Anyone who’s watched a loved one suddenly fade away due to this horrific illness, understands the difficulty in seeing the person you remember with your eyes, only to find a stranger has taken their place. But as I’ve come to realize (and cherish) every so often they come back to us. Maybe not 100%, but enough to remind us they’re still here, still living and still in need of our love – perhaps more so than ever before. Maybe it’s…
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