Tag: Lorie Sheffer

Guest blogger Lorie Sheffer: Approval

Pink Roses in water
photo: Lorie Sheffer

 

Why wait for someone else to tell you that you work hard and deserve to be appreciated? Sure, it’s nice to hear it from others, but it’s also perfectly fine to give yourself a little pat on the back. If we don’t appreciate ourselves, why would we expect someone else to appreciate us? And really, whose opinion really matters more than our own?

Next Blog

PS. Multiple attempts to correct technical issue with photo (which was shared by Lorie in it’s correct position) proved unsuccessful. So success today is called leaving it like it is.

 

Guest Blogger Lorie Sheffer: Fret

Carved apples in cider for Halloween
Carved apples for Halloween (photo and carving: Lorie Sheffer)

 

I’m very open about the fact that I have an anxiety disorder. I manage it very well for the most part. What I’ve noticed is that most people, even those who don’t have an actual disorder, tend to worry about things over which they have no control. I suppose it’s human nature. Just this week, I listened to three friends who talked about a huge worry they had. While all three situations were very serious, all of them turned out just fine. It’s difficult NOT to worry, sometimes. But perhaps we should all keep in mind this favorite quote in those times of worry:

My life has been full of misfortunes, most of which have never happened. – Michel de Montaigne

Next Blog

Guest blogger Lorie Sheffer: Tossing junk mail

Pile of junk mail
Pile of junk mail consumed an actual (important) bill. (photo: Lorie Sheffer)

 

My Aunt is 92. Her knees bother her, but she is able to live independently. She is aware, though, that her once sharp memory has a few holes in it. It made me sad to see her fret about something over which she has no control.

I told her that the longer we live, the more stuff we have in our brains. If we wouldn’t clean out and toss a few things, it would be terribly cluttered in there and we would have trouble finding what we needed for the day. The rule for an organized closet is to toss things we haven’t worn in a year or two, and if we bring an item in we should take an item out. Maybe the reason she remembers appointments and is still able to drive is because she tossed out the names of people she doesn’t see on a regular basis. Maybe her brain is as neat and organized as her kitchen. Maybe she’s just tossing and deleting old files. Just last week I lost a bill in a stack of junk mail. We need to toss that stuff! She seemed to like that idea.

Next Blog

 

Guest blogger Lorie Sheffer: Lessons from an old dog

Boy and dog on lake dock
We can observe a lot by watching, even from old dogs

 

I’m learning some things about life from an old dog.  She is given heart medication four times a day, hidden in a piece of potato roll that she sees as a treat. Her eyes are milky with cataracts and she has a crazy little tooth- one of the few that isn’t missing from her mouth- that juts out to the side. This summer she will be 16 years old, which is at the top of the life expectancy for a terrier. She is apparently unaware of all that.

I watch her tail wag from excitement as she stands by the door, ready to go out on our daily adventure/walk. She has the enthusiasm of a puppy. She bounds down the porch step and driveway, head held high. This old dog has not lost her happiness for life; she either has no concept of age or else she just doesn’t care. She’d rather be out exploring than napping in one of her soft dog beds. She never has to be coaxed to get up get moving. Always learning, always exploring, always ready for a new adventure. Maybe that’s her secret to feeling so young.

Next Blog