Belonging
Continue Reading: BelongingThe Cost of Love (and the Gift of Belonging) There is something almost unbelievable about rose oil. It takes approximately 252,000 individual petals—about 8,000 roses—to produce a single 5ml bottle. …
Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens September 2023
“The earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Laughter knows no bounds. Like the natural world, it serves to connect. Truth and innocence often carry it. It can serve Continue Reading
Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens August 2023
Apple trees are ominous. They’re not just for food. They bear the tempter’s power. Don’t hang out around them. If you do, eat at your own risk. Mythologically speaking, apples Continue Reading
Laughter
E.E. Cummings said, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” What a great focus for September, along with a fabulous topic for discussion. September for me is Continue Reading
Temptation
The focus for the month of August is Temptation. The focus was chosen due to the apple trees bearing fruit at this time of year, with harvest soon to follow. Continue Reading
Liberty
When I think of liberty and all that comes with that word, I think of July 4th, fireworks, and our freedoms in the United States. I also think about the Continue Reading
The Art of Letting Go: Balancing Expectations in Caregiving and Lessons from Nature
In the month of June, the ThinkCaregiver™ program and its Simple Suggestions talked about expectations and all it can ensue. We started the month off with the quote by Debra Continue Reading
Ebb and Flow
The ebb and flow of life is a natural cycle that is closely interconnected with the rhythms of nature. Just as the tides of the ocean ebb and flow, so Continue Reading
Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens – May 2023
Morning glory flowers shine in the morning, bloom vibrantly through the day and then stagger toward their end in the evening. Life, death and rebirth, all in 24 hours, and Continue Reading
Anticipation
What does anticipation do to our psyche? Anticipation can have both positive and negative effects on our psyche, depending on the situation and our individual personality traits and experiences. On Continue Reading
Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens April 2023
I don’t think there is any time during the year when I’m not anticipating one or more of Mother Nature’s hat tricks. Forsythias in bloom, sometimes referred to as the “Easter Tree,” bear the hope and good news of early spring. Continue Reading
Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens March 2023
If you’re a caregiver, I’m sure there are times when you find yourself neglecting your own nutritional needs for the good of your care receiver. The great thing about nutrition, though, is that if you take the time to prepare healthier meals, even just once a day, benefiting from the built-in healing mechanisms within the… Continue Reading
Vitality
One metaphor for this journey of vitality is that of a tree. Like a tree, we need strong roots to withstand the challenges of life. These roots can include social support systems, healthy coping mechanisms, and self-care practices. Just as a tree requires sunlight and water to grow, we also need to nourish ourselves with… Continue Reading