Wisdom of the Wounded

<p><em>Just Hel</em>p is the title of a children’s book written by one of our Supreme Court justices, Sonia Sotomayor. Although it’s a kid’s book, its message is for all ages. As we approach a new year, <em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Help-Build-Better-World/dp/0593206266">Just Help’s</a></em> message challenges us all to daily find ways to answer the central question of the book: “What will you do today to make the world a better place?”<br><br>When she was a girl, each day when Sonia woke up, her mother asked her a question, “How will you help today to make the world a better place?” Then each morning, Sonia set about to have a good answer to her mother’s question. Via charming pictures and text, Sonia and her friends discover ways to make their neighborhood, city and the wider world a better place.</p> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>Building a better world is a big project, one that takes a lot of work, and is not always easy, but it begins with a simple question: &#8220;How will I help today?”</p><cite>Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, of the US Supreme Court</cite></blockquote></figure> <p><br>Justice Sotomayor challenges us: What will you do today to make the world a better place? What a great question to ask ourselves each day of the new year. Each of us has the power to make a positive difference in our city, community and the world. Use your power. Here are just a few ideas to start your quest for making our world a happier, healthier, and more peaceful world for all people:</p> <p><br>• Make cookies for a new neighbor or for a lonely person<br>• Write a note or make a phone call to connect with someone who is going through a difficult time<br>• Offer to run errands for a person who cannot get out<br>• Shovel someone’s sidewalk or driveway.<br>• Work in the coffee or gift shops at your local hospital<br>• Read to children at a preschool<br>• Decorate lunch bags for organizations such as Kids’ Food Basket</p> <p>How will<strong> you</strong> help today to make the world a better place?</p> <p>The post <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/practical-guidance/just-help/">Just Help</a> appeared first on <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com">Wisdom of the Wounded</a>.</p>

<p>Do you know an elderly relative or friend and wonder what to give them for Christmas? Here are some holiday gift ideas that are sure to show you care.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Elderly people feel the cold more, so a cozy lap blanket, afghan, bed jacket, or a &#8220;wearable blanket&#8221; like a Snuggie or Comfy would be a good gift.</li> <li>Offer to come by and decorate the Christmas tree.&nbsp; Bring some goodies and Christmas music and make it a party.</li> <li>Buy them a new board game or a holiday-themed jigsaw puzzle and a promise to come by and play with them.&nbsp; Be sure to follow through on the promise.</li> <li>A fruit or flower/plant-of-the-month would give the person something to look forward to each month.</li> <li>Ask them what their favorite songs/music genre is; then curate a list for them on a music streaming service (Spotify/Pandora) and show them how to download the app and listen</li> <li>Watch a holiday-themed movie with them; reminisce about favorite holiday traditions from their childhood</li> </ul> <p>Or how about a gift that gives all year long? What if you made a promise to visit your elderly loved one each month?&nbsp; That&#8217;s what my son Jeff did for my mother. Jeff pledged to visit his grandma (my mom) once a month for a year.&nbsp; This involved a 4-hour round trip for him.&nbsp; He took his computer along and showed her family pictures. She was so pleased.&nbsp; He also asked her questions about her life. (See our <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/2012/04/17/telling-lifes-story/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">list of over 70 &#8220;life story&#8221; questions to ask an elderly loved one</a>.)</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p>It is so true, that the greatest gift you can give an elderly person is to be consistent all year long with visits, phone calls and small thoughtful gestures.</p> <cite>Carol Gioia</cite></blockquote> <p>So although an elderly friend or loved one is sure to appreciate any gift you give, it might be true that&nbsp; the greatest gift would be visits, phone calls and small thoughtful gestures all year long.</p> <p>Those continuous gestures tell your special elder that he/she is loved and cherished all the time, not just at Christmas time.</p> <p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: many of the gift ideas were inspired by a blog post by Carol Gioia, which is no longer available online.</em></p> <p>Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/66553065@N05/8759183610/in/photolist-em2785-bdFLSz-4VdC3w-7ss4NG-bdFLLa-5KUUgc-7rwJkd-4rC6fu-qmDDvA-4e84d8-8eKMe6-7yCvLe-93U2GA-r1Pg82-65hK36-6XNdYA-9Qk64U-quiNX9-4Hn9vd-kEGUE2-dRaJ5j-8HFDu3-4ShHo8-qJmswS-6StYxM-aNB3xk-5hdG8T-5jXE3W-bWMFDL-aDYfz1-9yscjm-5wSR12-bDcdAF-bqhe4q-bqh92u-bqhfDw-bqh7Yf-bDccMa-bDc6og-bDc1ug-bqhhdG-bDcbHi-bqhdoG-bDcej6-kCBNp-3izoyx-3iDLpj-3izp8B-3iDNxs-3izqV4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sirah Quyyom</a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/practical-guidance/holiday-gifts-for-elderly/">Holiday Gifts for the Elderly</a> appeared first on <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com">Wisdom of the Wounded</a>.</p>

<p>Who can resist freshly baked homemade chocolate chip cookies (or any kind of cookie, for that matter?) How do you like to eat your chocolate chip cookies . . . Warm? With a glass of cold milk? With a cup of coffee?</p> <p>But guess what? You could enjoy those cookies even more if you share some of them with another person. Maybe a friend who is going through a rough time.</p> <p>Consider also giving the person frozen cookies; for, as one mother said, “If you bring cookies frozen then I can have the delight of sending fresh goodies in my children’s lunch boxes or surprise them with a special after school snack.”</p> <p>Invite your children to help in the cookie making project. Maybe they would like to decorate a box or a bag in which the cookies can be given to the friend. Also suggest that they design a “Get Well” card or “Thinking of You” card to accompany the gift of cookies.</p> <p>If the cookies are for a child, you might like to include the book, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/If-You-Give-Mouse-Cookie/dp/0060245867" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</a>.</em></p> <p>Here is my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:</p> <p>Ingredients:<br>1 C. Oil<br>1 C. Butter<br>1 C. White Sugar<br>1 C.&nbsp;&nbsp; Brown Sugar<br>1 tsp. Salt<br>1 Egg<br>1 Tbsp. Milk<br>1 tsp. Vanilla<br>4 C.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Flour<br>1 tsp. Cream of Tartar<br>1 tsp. Baking Soda<br>1-1 ½&nbsp;&nbsp; C. Chocolate Chips<br>½&nbsp;&nbsp; C. chopped nuts (optional)</p> <p>Beat the first 8 ingredients for two minutes. Add flour, cream of tartar and soda. Beat for two minutes. Add chocolate chips and nuts (optional). &nbsp;Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet.</p> <p>Recipe by: Pat Barrett</p> <p><em>Updated: 2024</em></p> <p>The post <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/practical-guidance/chocolate-chip-cookie/">Who Can Resist a Chocolate Chip Cookie?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com">Wisdom of the Wounded</a>.</p>

<p>Did you know that a person needs at least four hugs a day for healthy survival? Virginia Satir was a pioneering family therapist who is credited with the following quote: “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”</p> <p>Sometimes we forget the value of human touch.</p> <p>On the way home from a conference, Don Piper’s car was crushed by a semi that crossed into his lane.&nbsp; After 34 surgeries and&nbsp;one year in the hospital Don finally came home. Don says, “When my&nbsp;eight year old son came home from school, without saying a word, Chris would walk over and lay his head on my chest. I don’t know how long his head lay there, probably not more than a full minute. He never said a word. He didn’t need to. That simple gesture was enough. I felt so loved by my son. He expressed his grief in the only way he knew how.”</p> <p>The power of the human touch is vital. Several sources suggest that most people benefit from a hug. Hugs can help people <a href="https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_hugs_make_you_feel/article.htm">fight off infections, ease depression and reduce blood pressure</a>. &nbsp;Start by hugging your children and your spouse. &nbsp;What a difference you will make in their lives.</p> <p>Never forget the value of human touch.  Who needs a hug from you today?</p> <p><em>Updated 2024</em></p> <p>The post <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/practical-guidance/4-hugs-a-day/">4 Hugs a Day</a> appeared first on <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com">Wisdom of the Wounded</a>.</p>

<p>Which day of the week is the loneliest day for widows and widowers?</p> <p>Here is what a few grieving spouses have shared with me about feeling lonely.</p> <p>Glenda’s husband was killed in a private plane crash, and she says, “I was completely devastated. It took about fifteen months before I was able to function in a fairly normal capacity without breaking into tears.”</p> <p>&nbsp;“There was a significant letdown after the funeral when friends return to the living of their own lives,” Glenda continues.&nbsp; In addition to those “special” days like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, widowed persons say that Sunday is the loneliest day of the week.&nbsp; Therefore, Glenda suggests, “offer to meet the person at church.&nbsp; (I did not want to sit alone and needed incentive to go since I was angry at God).”&nbsp; Also, knowing how lonely Sundays can be, she encourages friends to invite the alone person to Sunday Brunch.</p> <p>Another widower shared, “Invite the grieving person to attend church with you, and offer to pick him or her up since this encourages him or her to keep the date.”</p> <p>And here’s a suggestion from me: if you notice a person sitting alone in church, join them.&nbsp;&nbsp; They won’t feel so alone and lonely. This is true for everyone, not just widows and widowers.</p> <p>God Bless.</p> <p><em>Updated 2024</em></p> <p>The post <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com/practical-guidance/loneliest-day/">The Loneliest Day of the Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://wisdomofthewounded.com">Wisdom of the Wounded</a>.</p>