On Understated Cognitive Joys

On Understated Cognitive Joys

On #1 Joy sometimes arrives like the calm after a storm in a quiet rainbow with the air still full of moisture. Not ecstatic, emotional, or hilarious. But rather, emerging from within as deep peace that betrays a contented smile. For this title to make any sense, you...
Dislocated Your Happiness?

Dislocated Your Happiness?

Glimpses #3 My wife will tell you that one of the silver linings of living with Dermatomyositis is that she doesn’t have to feel guilty about not going camping with me. The effects of the disease on her muscles makes sleeping on the ground extra uncomfortable....
Sticky Note Redemption

Sticky Note Redemption

Glimpses #2 “Do you have a minute? Can I tell you what happened a few nights ago?” she asked as she peered into my office. “Sure, come on in,” I offered (as we did so easily prior to Covid). Her husband had been living with Parkinson’s...
Both/And

Both/And

Glimpses #1 A reflection from our “pre-illness” trip to the gritty sands of Galveston Island, Texas in late 2001 captures the essence of this both/and notion. Three months pregnant with our daughter and not yet showing, I did what any sensitive husband would do. I...
Jumpstarting Joy

Jumpstarting Joy

People You Notice #4 She had no business being that chipper. But her persistent, upbeat aura jumpstarted my own renewed sense of joy. In the coffee drive thru line, I listened to an audio book. Then, as I pulled up to the window, she appeared. Big mask on…complete...
After Thanks

After Thanks

What happens then? It’s just a sandwich. Except that, we only eat this sandwich once a year. Leftover turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce in between two slices of white bread…the kind that sticks to the roof of your mouth. Sometimes, a dab of mayonnaise piques the...

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