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 to link us together when we least expect it, even in the scariest of moments, and the best ones are simply unforgettable. We need good laughs, like we need each other. It’s part of what connects us as humans. And, in today’s market of stress-relieving…
Continue Reading Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens September 2023
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 have earned the right to be feared. One bite and you lose your innocence. A gateway to darkness. Nutritionally speaking, though, apples lose that power.…
Continue Reading Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens August 2023
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 all about the change of seasons, students and teachers returning to school, and the beginning of harvest time. My hope is that not only for…
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. Autumn season is fast approaching at the Iris Respite House & Healing Gardens, as the squirrels begin to gnaw at the hickory nuts in the…
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 brave men and women who died to give us that right. Our focus for the month of July is liberty. We spent the month talking…
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 L. Reble, “We must let go of any expectations of how life should be, in order to experience how life can be.” Quite profound and…
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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 too does life go through periods of growth, change, and renewal. Nature provides a powerful metaphor for the ebb and flow of life. For example,…
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 all on the vine of a plant many people regard as a weed! The ebb and flow of life is our focus for May. At…
Continue Reading Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens – May 2023
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 the positive side, anticipation can create a sense of excitement and motivation. When we are looking forward to something that we expect to be enjoyable…
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 April 2023
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 food, it can be good for both of you.
Continue Reading Reflections from the Iris Respite House Healing Gardens March 2023
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