Lavender is brilliant and (for me) she’s local, too! I’ve known her and her family for several years and I will acknowledge my personal bias. Lavender is lovely! You don’t need to agree, but I suspect that you will. Lavender lives in Fitchburg, MA and was recently a contestant on America’s Got Talent. (TO BE …
Thanks to Stephen’s Place and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities for their inspiring work and helpful information. Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month can bring awareness to the challenges that those with developmental disabilities face when it comes to interacting within their communities. Developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays affect …
Meditation and mindfulness are both wildly popular and widely misunderstood. While I am not an expert on the subject, I have personally reaped great benefits from a daily discipline in the past. But I became complacent and wandered away from my practice. For reasons that remain a puzzle to me, I have been slow to …
Solstice greetings to you and yours! On this – the shortest (and darkest?) day of the year – may we look forward with a deep sense of hope about the brighter days ahead. And as nature marks this point in its cycle of seasons, let us seize the season and claim the brightness ahead as …
On this day when so many are thinking about reasons to be thankful, I wanted to pause and express my thanks for the privilege of daily serving folks who are brave enough for this journey. Trying to make positive changes in our live is surely the mark of courage. So thank you for taking good …
A Story of Numbers After my eighth serious quit attempt in three years, it finally took. Support from the QuittersWin group and mindful use of NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) helped me finally sever the chains from my 45-year, pack-per-day addiction. I noticed a difference right away! By the end of day two smoke-free, I was …
October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Early on an October morning (5 years ago today) as I drove to work in the rain, I sat at a red light in the center of my hometown. There are two routes that will get me to work in about the same amount of time. One route …
Maybe Miracles Do Happen? If people can maintain coherence and avoid terrible detox symptoms, they might be able to hold hope long enough for a miracle to occur. I’ve seen the bumper sticker that says “Expect a Miracle.” Some days I might scoff at such unreasonable hope. Some days I might wish that expecting a …
Part One – A Fierce Storm Today Rehab and Detox beds are nowhere to be found. Demand is higher than ever. Resources are more scarce. Staff are harder to hire and keep. Overdose deaths (CDC figures) rose 30% from 2019 to 2020 and another 15% from 2020 to 2021. The system has been broken for …
Life will never be stressless, but maybe we can find better ways of managing our anxiety, stress, or feelings of despair. Why do we react to stress that way? When folks relapse and go back to vaping or smoking, it is almost always due to a stressful situation. The stimulation caused by nicotine in the …
“It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts.” – Ella Fitzgerald That’s so true in so many aspects of our human journey. Some of our past needs to be processed or better understood in order for us to move on. But there are plenty of things in our past that we …
There’s a phrase I hear often and even when people are talking about serious matters, I’m tempted to smirk or laugh. Maybe you use or hear this phrase – “emotional baggage.” OK, “I’m pretty sure you meant to say “griefcase!” is a kinda funny response (I’m a sucker for a cheap laugh.) But the things …
While Black history should be accurately taught and celebrated every day, Black History Month is a perfect time to spotlight the fact that smoking is a social justice issue as well as a global health concern. The Tobacco industry has a well-documented record of target marketing to marginalized communities. “These tactics have serious consequences. African …
Even the best of days would be better with a few smiles, smirks, or chuckles! So here’s a small dose of motivation for your day. Laughter is #GoodMedicine! And to add at least a little motivation to this morning’s message, let’s be honest with ourselves and ask if we are REALLY ready to accept help …
(even when it’s ten below zero?) I heard myself grumbling about the weather getting cold recently. It made me realize that I hadn’t performed my annual winter magic ritual. So, I looked at the 10 day forecast, picked the coldest morning, and created a calendar event so I wouldn’t forget. I was out on the …
