Tag Archives: family
Celebrate Chanukah with Traditional Foods and Less Stress
Now that Chanukah is in full swing, I’ve been enjoying the holiday with family and friends. And what is a celebration without the traditional foods – potato pancakes (latkes), donuts (sofganiot) and chocolate coins (gelt). Food has always been an important part of family rituals – sometimes the scents alone can bring back vivid memories of shared holidays. And it can transcend generations: frying latkes reminds me of watching my mother make them for us as kids, making dozens for my own children, and now preparing them to take to … Continue reading
Posted in extended family, stress, your self
Tagged celebration, Chanukah, Christmas, donuts, dysfunctional family relationships, expectations, family, gelt, Hanukkah, holiday, latkes, limits, meal, potato pancakes, relatives, sofganiot, stress, tension, triggers
2 Comments
Lessons from Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving inspires us to express our gratitude for all we have been given. And the long weekend includes many additional descriptions – delicious, full, hectic, loving, stressful, joyful, overwhelming, warm, meaningful, disappointing, exhausting. How was yours? Mine had some of all of these and was full of friends and family – children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, a great-grandson, and cousins. Because our children and three grandsons were visiting from out of town, we wanted to take advantage of their trip and squeeze in every possible minute of fun with them. So now … Continue reading
overcoming your fears
Halloween, with its manufactured frights, is over but the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy – nicknamed Frankenstorm – are ongoing throughout the East coast. The power of the storm has created widespread destruction and raised real fears about coping with the aftermath – rebuilding the country and the lives of the affected. Our collective thoughts, prayers and good wishes go out to the victims of the storm as they attempt to deal with their situation. On Monday, we had three tips for helping when you’re anxious and frightened by events … Continue reading
Posted in stress, well-being, your self
Tagged anxiety, attitude, coping, family, fears, Frankenstorm, frighten, guilt, Halloween, Hurricane Sandy, resiliency, scary, stress, support
Leave a comment
What frightens you this halloween?
Kids love to be scary, and be scared, on Halloween. Dressing up as witches, monsters and ghosts; helping to decorate the front of the house with spider webs; fashioning odd grimaces on pumpkins – all of these allow them to manage their levels of fear. When you are the one in charge of creating the spooky environment, it doesn’t seem so bad after all and when you can control it, you have a feeling of power and satisfaction. Maybe that’s why Americans spend so much money on Halloween, second only … Continue reading
Posted in stress, well-being, your self
Tagged aging parents, anxiety, coping, family, fears, frighten, Halloween, information, kids, money, resources, scary, strengths, stress
Leave a comment
