Category: Kindness

Are You Feeling Lonely? Join the Crowd

Photo by Inzmam Khan on Pexels.com The above title may sound flippant, but it points to a huge problem—and hints at a possible solution. On May 1, the US government released a publication entitled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, 2023: The US Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.” … Continue reading Are You Feeling Lonely? Join the Crowd →

A Shovel, Yo-Yo Ma, and an Odd Close to 2022…

https://twitter.com/yoyo_ma/status/1609414029067296772?s=51&t=LvOMUrZ2xSDctWASSvuc5Q I’m a Yo-Yo Ma devotee, admiring both his versatile musical artistry and his good works. I share the wishes he conveys in the brief snippet above: May 2023 be “fabulous” for us all! The shovel he used to usher out the Old Year seems appropriate too. Though there were some important positive developments last … Continue reading A Shovel, Yo-Yo Ma, and an Odd Close to 2022… →

Reading My Friend Peter’s SNAFU Letter at Christmas Time: A Reblog Prompted by a Stranger’s Final Twitter Message

’m not terribly fond of Christmas letters, which sometimes resemble those Facebook entries in which people tell you all the details of their day, including every morsel they ingested. But there was one letter I always looked forward to receiving. It was from my friend Peter, my colleague at the continuing medical education company that was my last job before retirement. Technically, I was Peter’s “boss,” a word I loathed, as I really believed in a collaborative work environment. But with Peter, it was irrelevant: he needed no bossing.  Though his position was medical editor, he possessed two masters degrees and a PhD. It was our/my great good fortune that he wound up in that office. He was brilliant.

Fame and Adversity, Love and Grace

I'm not one to look to entertainers for personal heroism. And I'm certainly aware that the made-for-public-consumption exteriors often hide some fairly unpleasant human beings. But I've long found musician Jon Batiste--a jazz pianist best known as the "Stay Human" band leader for Stephen Colbert's program--to be an extremely appealing guy: upbeat and open, seemingly … Continue reading Fame and Adversity, Love and Grace →

“Gumbo Diplomacy”

As we near the end of this year’s commemoration of Black History Month, it seems appropriate to pay tribute to a woman whose life story is that of a Black American girl who rose from humble beginnings in the segregated South to a place of honor and influence in our country. I hope you’ll spend 10 minutes watching this TedTalk video of Linda Thomas-Greenfield, our newly appointed ambassador to the United Nations, as she describes overcoming adversity and being strengthened by it--with compassion, kindness, and a smile.

Help With A Critical Endeavor: Providing Meaningful Comfort to the Sick and Dying

I have been fortunate to connect with Abigail Johnston, a dynamic woman who has selected a title for her blog that's a perfect description of her and her mission: "No Half Measures: Living Out Loud With Metastatic Breast Cancer."...

...I am pasting her most recent post, "Ring Theory," below because its approach to communicating with seriously ill people--and their loved ones--provides information that I think we all need. And, when we eventually find ourselves in the center of the ring, I believe we will all hope that those around us are similarly well-informed.

Don’t You Think the World Could Use a Little Anger Management? Here’s a Way That Just May Help…

Well, sure: the holiday season is, ironically, a time of stress. But we know there are high levels of anxiety that have preceded this supposedly joyous time and will surely follow us into the New Year/decade. 

I don’t have to itemize the list: it’s as close as your newspaper or electronic device. All sorts of problems and calamities—natural and manmade—have been occurring just about everywhere.

We can’t change the world, but we do have some control over how we view the world and our place in it. And if enough of us exercise that control, we can make a difference.

Reading My Friend Peter’s SNAFU Letter at Christmas Time

’m not terribly fond of Christmas letters, which sometimes resemble those Facebook entries in which people tell you all the details of their day, including every morsel they ingested.

But there was one letter I always looked forward to receiving. It was from my friend Peter, my colleague at the continuing medical education company that was my last job before retirement. Technically, I was Peter’s “boss,” a word I loathed, as I really believed in a collaborative work environment. But with Peter, it was irrelevant: he needed no bossing. 

Though his position was medical editor, he possessed two masters degrees and a PhD. It was our/my great good fortune that he wound up in that office. He was brilliant.