Opinion

Thinking Out Loud:  Six T’s That Can Make Our Lives Easier    There are six fundamentals of grief recovery, which are very important to the grieving process.  Most people try to avoid them not knowing that they are delaying their healing and advancement to the future.  Let’s examine and evaluate them and apply them also to…

Grief during Valentine’s Season Don’t we love our holidays?  Food, family, fellowship, fun, sentimental focus… but it’s different after a significant loss.  Valentine’s Day can be one of the most difficult holidays of all.  Why?  Because it is a more couple oriented and intimate holiday.  The holidays of large-family-gatherings are over and this sweet one…

Thinking Out Loud: Using Nature to Help You Get Through Grief!    “Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” … Albert Einstein    I love jogging near the ocean or near rivers, lakes, and ponds.  Such a habit has so often brightened my day and restored my very being during times of…

Views From the Back Pew I read somewhere that if you understand your limitations then you will be able to set realistic goals for yourself. I’m not sure that I agree with that at all. Sure, I understand that at the age of 55 it’s highly unlikely that I will get that call from any…

Investing in Long-term Care is Investing in Rural Oklahoma   By Care Providers Oklahoma President and CEO Steven Buck I was born in Mangum and spent my formative years in Altus. Although I live in Oklahoma City today, I feel a deep connection to Oklahoma’s rural communities. I also feel a deep sadness as I…

Freedom and Power in 2024!    There are moments in life when we get so caught up in the emotions and events of what has happened in the past that we miss out on the present.  We can let these feelings of despair, fear, or sadness engulf us.  We can let them run our lives…

Bullet Points about Grief in 2024!    Grief is an experience all persons will face.  Whether you have experienced it or not, eventually, you will have friends and family members who encounter loss.  That is when you are in the role of a supporter.  The following ten bullet points offer insight and assistance for those…

Moving Forward in 2024!    There are moments in life when we get so caught up in the emotions and events of what has happened in the past that we miss out on the present.  We can let these feelings of despair, fear, or sadness engulf us.  We can let them run our lives by…

What Kind of New Year Would You Like? Was 2023 really a good year?  Or, would you call it an unlucky year for you?  Are you really looking forward to 2024 with hopeful anticipation, eager to explore new opportunities?  Come on, let’s be honest, do you really want to be better or bitter in this…

Thinking Out Loud: Our Emotions    Emotions are not only something that simply stir around in the brain; they also invade every cell in the body and affect the immune system.  However, they are ingenious in that they communicate with our inner response to change, and equally important, eventually they provide many messages about how to…