How I wish I had a perfect answer to this! I think at some point, all aging bodies will garner damage from living and they will end up with some sort of issue that requires endurance. Even the most abled bodies often suffer or have suffered tremendous hardship. Chronic pain can be emotional and mental, as well as physical. I actually believe that all things emotional, mental, and spiritual, that are provided sufficient levels of focus and energy, will eventually... Read more
This holiday season has turned out to be more special than I expected. Once upon a time (pre-Covid), I was always thrilled with everything to do with Christmas, Yule, Winter Solstice and the New Year. While the season was cold it’s always felt like everyone’s spirit warmed up and felt more open and kinder. I would put up multiple trees and decorate from one end of the house to the other. My husband and I would rejoice in the season... Read more
Once upon a time, most humans used to sleep in two shifts, commonly referred to as first and second sleep. Historian A. Roger Ekirch’s book At Day’s Close: Night in Times Past describes how households at this time [pre-industrialized Europe] retired a couple of hours after dusk, woke a few hours later for one to two hours, and then had a second sleep until dawn. During this waking period, people would relax, ponder their dreams, or have sex. Some would engage... Read more
Start Your Day with Happiness The alarm is going off, you’re blinking your eyes open, take a moment to hit “snooze” on the alarm. Now you have about 5 to 10 minutes to slowly reset your body and mind before you begin your day. Feel into your body first. Stretch and notice how it feels. As you do this physical check you will also become aware of your mental state. What are your first thoughts? Do you feel achy and... Read more
According to a 2017 article on pewresearch.com by Michael Lipka and Claire Gecewicz, a quarter of Americans consider themselves to be “spiritual but not religious.” Many people are finding fulfillment in older and reimagined philosophies. I noticed a trend in books pertaining to Stoic philosophy, lifestyle, and meditations, as well as business practices. The OG Stoics: Zeno, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus were polytheists and what we nowadays refer to as pagans. However, they would certainly consider themselves to be spiritual... Read more
Most people cannot wrap their minds around planning to leave this life on their own terms. Have we been programmed to believe that enduring suffering is saintly? In our office, I have seen more deaths due to suicide and tangentially, accidental suicides, this year than any other. Suicides are often attributed to untreated depression, physical pain or other forms of suffering. When you begin to consider the right to die, there are several heavy topics to unpack: Under what circumstances,... Read more
I recently fell down a rabbit hole when I became entranced by the phrase “Hail the Traveler.” Referencing the astral soul as a “traveler” is common and we often refer to our Dead or souls as “on a journey” using euphemisms that refer to being a traveler. We seem inherently uncomfortable with Death and we often feel it is a kindness to use words that are indirect. You often hear references like: “passed on/away”, “the dearly departed”, and “having left... Read more
Imagine you have just passed away from some unforeseen, traumatic event. Scenario 1: Your mom is walking through your house having to make a plan on how to disburse or sell your personal property. Perhaps you have a collection of sex toys and porn under your bed that you’d be mortified to have her find. Scenario 2: Before death, you were living alone, divorced, with adult children. You were so proud to tell everyone your daughter is a state senator. Unfortunately,... Read more
Prepare to Die The Stoics believed that having an awareness of death was what made life so sweet. It was a Roman tradition that when a hero was put upon a pedestal to be celebrated that another person would stand behind them and remind them that they are no different than those who are cheering him but “Memento Mori” roughly translated as “Remember you too will die.” Conversations about dying and death are difficult and uncomfortable, although they are often... Read more
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