My 8-year old son started his "Lego Advent calendar" today and now I am in that foggy Christmas zone where I can get out of the normal grind and start thinking about what really matters.  Today I felt inspired by who else but John Denver.   Who knew?  Of course, we have all loved one of his songs at one time or another.  But this one hit me in the right way today and I thought I would share it.  James Twyman, by the way, is someone I follow because he seems to be clear about his mission to follow his passion and spread love and peace.  In this holiday season, we could all use a little of that - eh?

So, we have all read how horrible caregiving can be. It can shorten your lifespan and studies show that caregivers are not as healthy as others who are the same age. But, maybe it is not as bleak as we have thought. A series of unexpected research study results were recently summarized by the New York Times blogger, Paula Span, showing that in certain respects, caregivers are in better health – at least for the population studied.

I know. Depression is “biological.” But, it seems odd to me that caregivers are more likely to be depressed than the general population. Why? Is caregiving biological? No. I think some depression is for a good reason or is certainly triggered by a real life event.

I remember when I had little kids and I would do anything I could think of to get them to both nap at the same time so I could get a little “me-time.” Sometimes, my husband would come home during lunch to ask “Hey honey, what do you want me to eat in the fridge?” - which was code for “I hate to look like I am a bother to you, but would you make me a sandwich.”

So, one thing caregivers are short on is time. And, we all know the concept of “simplifying” your life. It includes things like paying bills online, getting rid of clutter, cleaning out your closet and taking clothes “you have not worn in one year” to Goodwill and so on.

I read today about how the majority of Jacksonville, Florida volunteers for Meals on Wheels are seniors. They are often as old as the people they are serving. The article cited 77 and 84 year olds – one of which was recruited by a volunteer who was in his early 90s.

I was barely a teenager when my grandma, Almeda, had her stroke. She was a silently strong, generous, loyal, and hard-working woman. So, a lot of people liked her. She was active in her church, had some great friends, and was known to regularly make cinnamon rolls for the local firemen (she appreciated being saved in a fire when she was young).

It is fascinating to me how quickly good ideas (and bad ones too I suppose) spread. This past spring, I read a little-known book called “Stop Inflammation Now.” The Author’s basic premise is that inflammation in our bodies causes chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. He even suggests that inflammation is involved in developing high cholesterol.

For many years when I was younger, I was employed in drug and alcohol centers providing counseling and became quite familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Unlike any other type of treatment or program I have seen, it is part spiritual, part philosophical and part practical in its approach and is still the most effective program for addictions of all kinds. 

I read a great article over the Memorial Day weekend. Well, I read lots of great articles, but this one keeps popping up in my mind as I went through the past week. It highlighted the research done by Dan Buettner who partnered with National Geographic and the National Institute on Aging to visit “Blue Zones” – or places where people live longer - to find out the secrets to a long and disability-free life.