Life is full of
- Twists and Turns
- Ups and Downs
- Throughs and Arounds
As caregivers, we react all ways. We whine. We celebrate. We complain. We rejoice.
Take any time you find for a little respite. Self-care is #1 for survival.
Remember, the oft-cited advice…
It’s not what happens to us, but how we react that determines our attitude, health, and happiness.
If we’re honest with ourselves – after enough time passes – we realize we need life’s challenges to gift us with enough variety of spice to make life deliciously worth living.
The August edition of The Caregiver’s Voice Newsletter featured my BIG change this year. Read it here: Milestone Birthday! Changes Coming!
One need not be 60 years or older to be considered a sage. Those of us who believe in lifelong learning will gain inspiration (and awe) from the pen (keyboard?) of youthful innocence.
In 2015, Chanie Gorkin was an 11th grader at an all girls’ high school in Brooklyn, NY. A talented poet, she enjoys writing and music. Her palindrome, a form of poetry that can be read forward and backward is entitled Worst Day Ever?
I can just hear a young teen asking, “Worst day ever?” Yet she shares wisdom that is usually found in those two generations older.
Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one’s surroundings are good.
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a very good day.
Now read it from bottom to top, the other way,
And see what I really feel about my day.
For a link to the site: https://www.poetrynation.com/poems/worst-day-ever/
The story behind this poem
Chanie Gorkin has always had an appreciation for poetry along with her talents for music and rhythm. She especially enjoys the works of Shel Silverstein and other poets whose styles include humor and clever twists. Chanie lives with her parents and siblings in the Chassidic Community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Chassidic philosophy stresses that God is good, and since He is the cause of everything, everything is essentially good. Look for the good in all things and you literally create positive energy and a good reality for yourself. It all depends on how you look at it.
