The Resolute Woman

Category: Fayteen

  • The death of Anthony Shadid

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in , ,

    When I turned on my computer to my Yahoo news page and saw the picture of Anthony Shadid and read that he had died at 43, I was at first shocked and then deeply saddened. Anthony, of course, was The New York Times foreign correspondent who died of a fatal asthma attack in Syria. He…

  • Depressed? Or, happy?

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    Are you feeling depressed or happy? Or, neither? Or, something in between depressed and happy? Are you feeling joyful, cheerful, lucky, blessed, satisfied or content? Or, are you feeling sad, gloomy, somber, pensive, blue or troubled? Are you feeling optimistic or pessimistic? Some people act as if they’re happy all the time. But it’s unrealistic…

  • Take care of yourself, too

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in , ,

    When I first learned that my daughter Ranna would have to go back to the hospital, I thought first about myself. “Oh, no,” I said to myself. “You can’t go back to the hospital. I can’t handle any more doctors or hospitals.” Then, of course, I felt guilty. I was thinking about myself, and I…

  • Is it still a happy new year?

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in , ,

    I had been telling myself that my daughter Ranna’s medical problems were ending and that this year would be the start of her healing. I still am convinced that this year will be a new beginning for Ranna. But the new beginning is not going to happen immediately. Ranna already has spent six days in…

  • Divide your life into chapters

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    Recently David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, asked people over 70 to send him essays about their lives and what they have done poorly or well. One of Brooks’ conclusions after reading all of these essays was: Divide your life into chapters. According to Brooks, the people who see “time as an unbroken flow,…

  • Sometimes people don’t change

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    resolutewoman
    in , ,

    My mother was deeply affected by the death of her own mother when she was four years old. Because she never received the love she needed, she was a non-toucher. She never showed her love for me by hugging or kissing me. Finally, when I was in counseling after my divorce, I realized how much…

  • You can’t buy happiness or love

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    Despite all the newspaper advertisements, TV commercials and e-mail messages we receive at this time of the year, we all know that we can’t buy happiness or love. One of the best Christmas presents I receive is an annual love note from my husband Tom.  I once offered to help my son landscape his front…

  • A holiday reminder from Fayteen

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    I  remember holiday seasons when I was a single mother with two children. They were happy times when we unwrapped presents early in the morning and then ate a big Christmas dinner with my children, my parents, my brothers and their families. But I remember, too, how I spent hours shopping for bargains because I…

  • Refilling my cup

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    I had arrived 15 minutes early for my meeting with Joy, and I had some work I wanted to finish before our appointment. I knew that I could sit in the car and finish the work. However, as I pulled the papers out of my tote bag, I noticed the leaves gently blowing on a…

  • Relief and hope

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    by

    resolutewoman
    in ,

    Since January, my daughter Ranna has battled breast cancer. It has been a tough battle. She had an aggressive cancer and has seen many doctors for countless appointments. She has had seven surgeries. During 35 years of counseling, I have worked with a number of people with cancer. I thought I understood what they had…