Call to Goodbye

In my family we have this custom. When someone is ready to pass away we let everyone know they can come and say their last goodbyes. Friends, Family. Colleagues. Acquaintances. Anyone who feels like they want to come. Like when we were told my Dad wasnt gonna make it. I cant remember what they said. Hours or a couple days left maybe. Cant remember. I didnt believe it. But they put the call out anyway. His hospital room and ward were already full of family and friends. Constant coming and going. Anyway they put the call out. And they came in droves. Whenever my mother and siblings were all in the room I left. I had this thing where I beleived my dad wouldnt leave us if we werent all together. And he didnt. Then my uncle said we all had to stop being selfish and let him go. Trouble is I didnt believe it. Until I looked down at my dad on his hospital bed. So uncomfortable. In such pain. His eyes closed but his face grimaced. Unconscious for 3, maybe 4 days. Suddenly I knew. I was holding his hand. Stroking his hair. And I said “Dad. I know you hurt. If you are ready to go then you go. Dont stay for us, its ok. Go when your ready. ” And then he opened his eyes for the first time in 3 days. He looked at me, smiled, took a deep breath. Then passed away. As he left he squeezed my hand and I said “You were my rock”. Then I broke.It was in that moment that I believed he was going to die. And I couldnt comprehend it.

Emotion & Nutrition: EmoNut?

You probably know the importance of healthy nutrition and the benefits for the mind and body. Good nutrition helps the mind to focus better, to stay alert and it helps with your problem solving abilities. You also get the benefit of being fitter, maintaining a manageable weight and sustaining your energy longer to be able to keep you going through your day.

But did you know healthy nutrition is just as important for our emotional health too?

We have a strange way of viewing nutrition in this modern age, many people view it as fuel for the body which is not realistic to humans at all.

You Be You, I Be Me

Our journey in life is a storybook of tragedy, adventure, joy and… the mundane. Most times we fit right in and are able to flit along our life paths without noticing anything other than what’s in front of us. If we’re lucky enough, we might encounter a grand event or two along the way. If not, we’re probably missing the point of having a life path in the first place… but that’s another story.

So many times I hear the question “What am I supposed to be doing? What is my life purpose? I don’t understand what I am meant to do”.

And I think the answer is simpler than we think it is.

Indifference: When You Want To Care

For many of us we sometimes experience a state of indifference. Put simply, this state of being is a lack of emotion for anyone or anything. Which doesn’t sound very nice but it’s like any other state of being, it may or may not last very long and it is an indicator of your overall wellbeing. Also known as apathy, psychologists refer to this state of being as anhedonia, which is defined as being unable to feel pleasure or joy. As a ‘condition’, this state of indifference is often said to be a core symptom in depression or PSTD but I also think it’s a natural human occurrence that stems from the experiences we have in life and the way we process our emotions and thoughts, and in this post I will offer my perspective on indifference in general.