Remembering Buddy
Oh my Buddy, Buddy Gato, “Hey, Buddy Gato” (to the tune of Hey Macarena), my lover Buddy, cuddle Buddy, Bud, Spuds, Spuds Nugget, Bird, Bird Gato, Honey Buddy, Tweety, Tweety Bird, Sweetie Pie, Honey Buddy Boy, Pretty Buddy Boy, Super Buddy.
Change is the only Constant (2015 Review)
The past year showed me that change happens whether we’re ready or not. . . if we can learn to accept change instead of resist it, our lives will be easier. Also, we’re all on our own journey, and I’m happiest when I focus on MY journey.
First Christmas in St. Louis (2015)
In general, I enjoy the holiday season. I went on a group walk last weekend to look at Christmas lights and was the goofy one running ahead and getting giddy over different displays. I'm definitely not a Grinch.
However, this year is the first year that I'm really realizing how hard the holidays can be for people dealing with issues of any kind (grief, loss, illness, broken families, addiction, violence, trauma, other mental health issues, isolation, etc.).
Selfcareber (a month of self-care)
One beautiful thing about self-care is that it is unique to each individual. Ask yourself what feeds your soul, what makes you feel good, what makes you come alive with passion. THOSE are the things to do for self-care. What works for one person may not work for another. What is relaxing for one person may induce stress in another. If someone told me I need to run on a treadmill every day to get enough exercise for my health I would laugh at them. I can’t stand treadmills! If I told someone they need to get 9 hours of sleep each night but they only need 6, they’d be wasting 3 hours and probably wouldn’t be able to do it. You get what I’m trying to say. Self-care shouldn’t add stress to your life. Small changes can make a huge impact.
Remembering Little Girl
I miss Little Girl terribly. My favorite kitty was only 9 years old when I lost her this past December, and I know I will never find another companion as loving and affectionate as she was. She adored going outside to be social and never struggled much when I put her harness on. It always made me smile to hear the patter of her tiny paws on the concrete as her pace quickened to greet dogs or people as they approached.
Thoughts on Thoughts (2014 Review)
Earlier this year when I was in the throes of a massive amount of overwhelming anxiety, the last thing I wanted to hear was that I brought a lot of it on myself. And I did hear that from a few people, including a therapist. “What can you cut back on? You do realize you signed up for all of this, right?”