Words from the Heart

Mom and Dad on a good day Momma was one of those people who was ahead of her time, yet never quite got the recognition she deserved. She was a peace activist, civil rights activist, feminist, LGBT ally and staunch supporter of education for all children, long before women voiced their opinions of such things. She raised me to go through life with my heart and eyes open, giving everyone the same opportunity to share the path. Last night, after a long, long battle with more disease and pain than any human should have to live with, she died. My brothers and I are now orphans of the Universe. Strangely, I am not sad. ~~~~ When I was ten years old, Momma was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis a debilitating neuro-muscular disease that threatened to take her life. At that time, I was told that I should "prepare for" my mother's death. It was a horrible burden to put on a child. For the next several years, she was in and out of the hospital; each time potentially being her la...

There are some words that I have found to be interesting. Words which cause you to want to know more or sound musical when you speak them or look as if they are a complete story unto themselves. Words like calliope, rutabaga, serendipity or peregrine. Sabbath has intrigued me since I first heard it. You seldom hear this word, unless it is spoken in the context of religion. Where did it come from? What is the meaning? Why are we still using it today? Sabbath comes from the Old English sabat - the seventh day of the week observed by the Jews of the day (about 950) as a day of rest; borrowed from Latin sabbatum , from Greek sabbaton , from Hebrew shabbath , from shabath he rested. Sabbath was applied to the first day of the week (Sunday) about 1410. The spelling with double b is first recorded about 1280, and that with th though recorded before 1382, did not become widespread before the 1500's. (Resource: The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, Robert Barnhart, Ed., ...

Many years ago, I learned that writing was essential to my well-being. If I wrote down my thoughts, dreams, plans, fantasies, I felt "good." Today, I received my subscription to "O" magazine. It is one of two magazines I get monthly...The Sun is the other. In this issue of "O," is an ad for a new resource for people with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with many confusing symptoms. The one common link is that all people with fibromyalgia have pain. This pain can get so debilitating, that the person cannot function normally. Simple tasks like putting on clothes or walking across the room become impossible. As one who struggles daily with this condition, I have found certain things that truly help keep the pain to a minimum. What a delight it was to check out the link to fibrocenter.com and find that what I had discovered for myself is now being affirmed by doctors and other healthcare practitioners! For instance, I know that if I w...