Words from the Heart

Me on the occasion of my first birthday! I am at the end of my natal anniversary and thought I would share some thoughts and wisdom from 65 years on this beautiful, blue planet we call home with gratitude to all who have traveled this journey with me. I would love to share 65 bits of enlightenment, but perhaps we will go with nine as that is my favorite number and the number of my birth month as well as the total number of my birth day and year.  1. Love is the most powerful force on Earth. Never let time pass without telling those you love that you love them.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. 2. Children are our greatest asset. We are all responsible for maintaining and healing our Mother, Earth for them. 3. Dancing at random moments in the kitchen or out in the driveway or in the grocery store aisle with the one you love is such a gift, to yourself, your partner and anyone who gets the privilege of witnessing the dance. 4. Never - NEVER - forget to say ...

Some days, it feels like I am walking in the fog. (c) 2011 LMRNeas In this post, I will be discussing the pros and cons of a silent illness as it appears with family and friends. Since I cannot speak for every person with a silent illness, I am inviting those who also suffer to add their voices to this post by sharing their stories. When we tell our stories, we help ourselves as well as others. ~~~~ I began having arthritis symptoms as a child, after several bouts of what was then called, "scarletina."  My knees would become hot, swollen, and enflamed. My hands would ache. However, blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis always came back negative.  I remember being told by family members to "stop pretending" that I was sick.  As a child, when the adults around you don't believe you, it leaves scars that take years to heal. As I grew older, I would get strep throats so bad that my throat would close. I would be rushed to the hospital for massiv...

My decision to write a post about fibromyalgia isn't to start a pity party. I am writing in the hopes that this will bring some awareness to how conditions such as fibromyalgia, MS,  endometriosis , migraine and a host of other disease/conditions are not obvious. The victim doesn't "look" ill, and yet, they may be doing all they can to put one foot in front of the other without screaming. I have fibromyalgia. This was diagnosed close to 25 years ago after years of being in pain and having mysterious symptoms that the medical field could not diagnose. When I was given the diagnosis two things happened.  First, I began learning everything I could about this condition and how to keep it from taking over my life. Second, I promised myself I would not let this condition get in my way. I will tell you, this has not been easy.  For years, I was told I was either lying about my pain to seek attention or I was a    hypochondriac .  I am neither.  ...

The fields in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland  Top of the mornin'!  Sure, and the sun is shining bright through me window and the soda bread is bakin' in the oven. 'Tis a good day to be Irish! Well, if I went with my mother's philosophy any day is a good day to be Irish, but March 17 holds a special place in my heart. On the 17th of March, there were traditions and rituals that were part of our lives. Observing those rituals was as important to us as breathing air. When I was young, we kids started the day with Mass...early...7:30 a.m. Then, we ran home, sporting our Irish knit sweaters and green apparel, looking forward to Momma's fresh baked Irish soda bread and a cup of tea. Then, after Momma put the corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots into a huge kettle to cook at the back of the stove, we would bundle up in as much green as possible to be off to the parade.  Having seen pictures of the parade from years past, I don't quite remember ...

Father's day is upon us and I am called to remember how blessed I am to have had my Dad in my life and in the life of my children.  But, it wasn't an easy journey, at first. You see, Dad struggled for many years with alcohol. However, in my early teens, he gained sobriety and kept it for the remainder of his life. In the years that followed, I was blessed with a father who had great wisdom, great compassion and great love for me and all his children and grandchildren.   There are things I remember Dad telling me that have shaped who I am today. Some of his most memorable quotes are: "A nursing mother is the most beautiful sight in the world!" "You are NOT fat, you are pregnant and beautiful!" "Make do, do over or do without. You don't need all that sh.. anyway!" "You can do anything you put your mind to doing. You're John Neas' daughter!" Mostly, though, Dad led by example. He taught me to help others humbly b...

Photo Credit: Upsplash Today, I have the pleasure to share a guest blog with you from Jennifer Scott.  Jennifer has experienced anxiety and depression since she was a teenager. With that, she shares stories about the ups and downs of her anxiety and depression at SpiritFinder . Welcome, Jennifer.  Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us all. ***** Overcoming the Loss of a Loved One: The importance of self-care amid your grief Finding the strength to cope with the loss of someone you love is one of the greatest challenges life has to offer. The process takes time, and there’s no exact road map for which reactions or feelings you might have along the way. Everyone copes in their own unique way, and will need their own time to do so. You can, however, make the conscious effort to make self-care a priority during this particularly difficult time.  What is self-care ? Exactly what it sounds like: making the conscious effort to take care of your ow...

Public Domain through Google images: https://goo.gl/images/fBtskB I was asked why I am attending the Sister March in Greenfield today, the day of the Women's March on Washington.  Why???? I am marching to honor all the fearless and fierce women who came before me.  Women from my own family who survived the tyranny of hate in countries far from here. Women from my own family that survived poverty and pain.   Women from my own family who stood for suffrage, so that I might vote.   Women in my own family who climbed Martin's mountain hand in hand with other Women - Women of color - so that their children and their children's children could live together in freedom and equality.  I am marching for my daughters and my granchildren because we are still not totally free and equality is still not found everywhere. I march for all the Women around the world that have been abused, oppressed, hated and tormented.  The Women of the world for whom fear beco...

On this July 4th weekend, I have waxed nostalgic. Thinking of summers past, I decided to share some "summer poems."  Enjoy! Wet Cement   The hellacious heat of summer cooked us  as we sat in the shade of curtained rooms.  The rumblings of thunder could be heard  far away, like an oncoming train that is heard  long before it arrives, rattling into a station.  The air sat heavy on us, except when the fan,  positioned to blow like a zephyr back and forth,  happened to kiss our salt-laden skin.  Suddenly, light exploded outside the window  open to emit the tiniest relief from the building heat.  One by one, they come, loosed from clouds – We peek out the windowed shelter like hunters,  peering through the blind, waiting for the flock to land.  In moments, the streets become alive with the sound of  thousands of tiny fairy feet kissing the scalding concrete. The magic of their dance imme...

Easter is upon us and as families around me prepare for this holy of holy days, my thoughts are lingering in the past. Now that my daughters are grown with families of their own, there are some things about Easter that I truly miss . I know that it may seem crazy, but I miss the joy of creating special outfits for them each year. Most of the time, I made their dresses, trying to pick just the right color fabric for their individual personality rather than dressing them identically. In addition, I would immerse myself in the pattern books, searching for something that could be individualized with different collars, different sleeves, or different trim.  I even enjoyed recreating their Easter bonnets each year to match their new outfits. Another task I miss greatly is picking out flowers to bring or send to my mother.  Momma almost always got hyacinths from us, but every so often we would find tulips or daffodils that were so unique that we just had to get those, i...