Saturday, April 15, 2006

"Good Goodbyes"








I know things cannot stay the same
In this life, in this ever changing game.
Yet when I think of saying “goodbye,”
A part of me slowly begins to die.

It’s not that I will not move on,
Or not that new horizons will not don.
It’s just the thought of something new,
And of saying goodbye to what I already knew.

Is there really such a thing as good “goodbyes,”
Or is it all lies? Nothing more than “badbyes”?
I don’t know, but I wish life were more clever,
In that all that’s good could simply last forever.

Written by. Holly H.

"The Miracle Question"

Six years down the road,
Still stuck in yesterday.
Yet to find a humble abode.
Will it always be this way?

Memories so consuming
Of the time put before me.
Maybe it's just assuming
To say this will forever be.

If a miracle occurs tonight,
Taking all these problems away,
What will I see at first sight
Telling me tomorrow's a new day?

I don't know. I'm not sure.
Maybe I'll know tomorrow.
For now there's no cure
To end this painful sorrow.

Written by. Holly H.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Caring For Your Aging Parents/Guardians

Currently, I am doing some research for one of my classes on issues surrounding “aging family members.” I didn’t think I’d like this topic very much yet it has been quite stirring.

Below is a section from a good book I checked out called “Taking Care of Your Aging Family Members: A Practical Guide” by. Nancy Hooyman and Wendy Lustbader (1986). I felt some strong emotional reactions after reading this section (perhaps because I have older parents than most people my age and realize that, someday soon, my siblings and I will be in the position of taking care of my parents) and, thus, wanted to share it in a blog. After reading it, I’d like you to answer some or all of my questions below the excerpt.

Excerpt:

“The touching that is inherent in assisting with personal care almost always makes family members speak more tenderly and immediately than would otherwise be possible between them. For example, a daughter who helps her mother button her blouse each morning while recovering from a stroke may talk on a more personal level than she has ever previously ventured with her mother. It is difficult to hold on to past anger or resentment while buttoning someone’s clothes or helping with other tasks requiring physical contact. The sight of a parent unable to get out of a chair or into a nightgown without assistance is emotionally moving to even the most embittered children, often provoking conciliatory gestures and remarks that have been absent for years” (p. 15).

Questions:

1) What emotional reactions (e.g., sadness, fear, joy, etc.) do you have after reading this excerpt?

2) If one or more of your parents/guardians are still living and yet you are too young to have an aging parent/guardian for whom you must provide care for, but for whom you might have to be responsible for in the future, how does it make you feel to think about potentially having to provide such care for one or both of them in the future?

3) If you have ever had an aging parent/guardian (or any family member/loved one for that matter) who could not dress or bathe themselves and for whom you had to aide in doing so, what were your feelings on that?

4) Finally, what do you think about the statement “It is difficult to hold onto past anger or resentment while buttoning someone’s clothes or helping with other tasks requiring physical contact”?

Thanks!

Saturday, April 01, 2006

"Homosexuality: Hate and Love"

Here is an excellent video (length is about 5 mins) about the hate and love homosexual individuals have the potential to face on a daily basis. Before watching it, see its description below the video:



The video was created by a student at Abilene Christian University in response to the university's upcoming visit by the Soulforce Equality Riders (which occured 3/27/06), an activist group whose goal is, "freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance."

The first segment of the video contains some very harsh speech that I, and others, find heartbreaking. Also, you may or may not agree with some of what the video says (such as first loving the LGBT individual before you can change them) -- I agree with "loving" the individual first (one of the most powerful messages of the video), but I am not sure whether I agree or disagree about "changing" the individual.