Category: The Huddle

I totally caught your attention with the tantalizing title of this blog, didn’t I? I can only imagine the wheels spinning in your heads . . . some probably wondering if I have finally gone off the rails completely and become some sort of hard-hearted psychopath.You may think that I have washed my hands of efforts to speak up about issues impacting our practices. Stick with me on these mental meanderings, and I think that it will all, hopefully, come together!I need to start this blog by saying that these times do try us. I completely understand this as I continue to care for others in what is rapidly becoming the most tenacious public health disaster of my nearly 40 years in nursing. Last week, as I searched the aisles of…

Photo Credits: Melissa LaRose Photography I’ve lived in northern New England my entire life.Here in the Northeastern United States, we are known for many things, with some of the more noteworthy items including colorful fall foliage, mountains, skiing, taciturn locals and thriftiness that is refined to an art form. We are also fortunate to have many lakes, rivers and streams.While these waterways are all lovely to look at and offer opportunities for a variety of recreational activities, they also tend to hinder expedient travel without some sort of clever detour. Thus, today’s blog has been inspired by the ingenuity of Littleton, NH’s residents – highlighted by the photo above, of a traditional covered bridge.What does a covered bridge provide?Essentially, it is a means of efficient, safe passage across treacherous terrain.…

Self-nourishment Life can get crazy busy sometimes! Work, school, family, chores, social commitments… the list goes on and on! It often feels as though there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done - let alone having a little time to focus on your own needs.There is currently a lot of background noise around the importance of ‘self-care’, but what does it really look like, and how does it work for those who spend so much of their lives caring for others?Does self-care mean booking in for a “day of beauty”? Planning a vacation to a tropical paradise? Having a fancy spa pedicure? Ordering that book that you have always wanted to read? Taking a nap on the hammock in the backyard? Emptying your bladder when it’s about…

Welcome to my first ever blog post! I approach this part of the website with a blend of excitement, trepidation and more than a little anxiety. However, that’s why this space exists: for us to safely share, create and be vulnerable. So much of our time - especially of late - has been spent responding to stressful events and situations, leaving very few opportunities for us to dream and envision positive changes. Today, though, I am giving myself the space and grace to be a dreamer… Recently, a friend asked what I have planned following the publication of my book, ‘Hey, I Could Use a Little Help Here!’. What, indeed? To be honest, simply writing the book has been a lot to take in. Writing, revising, editing and proofreading some…

Hello! I hope that this finds you healthy and happy. It’s always fun to catch up with a good, old-fashioned letter! Here’s a bit of an update on what’s going on in my world these days. I am SO excited about a new position that I have accepted – I am going to be a school nurse! After decades spent in the trenches of scrubbing and circulating in the operating room followed by a brief stint in the world of caring for the chronically mentally ill, I am blessed with an opportunity to have what is known in the trade as a “legacy” job. This is the final stage of my nursing career. As the brilliant poet, Maya Angelou, said, “If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a…

A Little Backslide... Facebook Why? When I appear to be all about encouraging you to move forward and open yourself up to shifts in thinking and action, why am I offering you a chapter on backsliding? It’s a valid query and one that deserves a bit of discussion. I have found very few universal truisms in life, but I am willing to commit to at least one. When changing ways of behaving or thinking, backsliding happens. I would go so far as to affirm that it is almost a necessary part of a change process. Without taking advantage of the opportunity to stall while making changes, we miss out on the benefits of taking stock of our progress and reassessing our goals. While in a period of backsliding, we can…

The energy or mental capacity required to deal with a situation Facebook Recently, a friend asked if I continue to attend the meetings and activities of political action groups. After pondering my answer, I offered that I feel as though I have to keep showing up, regardless of how seemingly daunting some issues may be. My friend just shook her head. She volunteered that she simply “doesn’t have the bandwidth” for those activities. I totally get that. I have experienced the overwhelming frustration at how dismally ineffective my efforts have been at making any meaningful change. My bandwidth is close to being non-existent on some days, too. Every Monday, I go to the big social event of my week – a postcard writing group via a video call. I am…

02 Blog: Self-nourishment Life can get crazy busy sometimes! Facebook Work, school, family, chores, social commitments and the list goes on and on! It often feels as though there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done - let alone having a little time to focus on your own needs. There is currently a lot of background noise around the importance of ‘self-care’, but what does it really look like, and how does it work for those who spend so much of their lives caring for others? Does self-care mean booking in for a “day of beauty”? Planning a vacation to a tropical paradise? Having a fancy spa pedicure? Ordering that book that you have always wanted to read? Taking a nap on the hammock in the…