Blog Archives - trish hermanson

When Are Tears Good?

3/22/2019

My grandson’s tears provided some relief after his cousin pinched him. To experience even greater relief from pain, experts suggest we read a story about someone else’s suffering. They say emotional stories not only help us heal, they can change our brains for the better for days.
Book critic Kristin Lamb says that when we “vicariously experience our hurts, failures, disappointments, betrayals through another set of eyes, it’s a way of facing our villains in life.”
Besides that, researchers at Emory University in Atlanta discovered that a novel can cause positive brain changes that last for days.
     I don’t recommend any book to achieve this brain-and-emotion cleanse. Some stories are so dark they only validate the brokenness in real life. I look for stories in which the main characters grow through adversity, books that give me hope and humor along life’s highway.
Recently as I’ve sprawled in bed from the pain of a broken foot, I’ve vicariously vanquished evil in a fallen kingdom, sailed to the end of the Earth, and cheered as a mouldering relationship sparked into life again. As Lamb says, these stories have shown me “it is possible to come through the fire not only healed, but stronger and better.”
  So grab a good read. Together we can experience a catharsis as we let our feelings flow and our pain go.
Because healing tears are good.

What's the Worst Pain You Can Endure?

3/14/2019

A friend asked me what I’m learning these weeks as I hobble around with a broken foot because of a silly fall. Here’s one thing - the answer to a question that may surprise you: What is the worst pain you can endure?
Your own pain.
Some well meaning folks have reminded me that my malady “could be worse,” and I know they’re correct. But this is MY trial that I have to deal with RIGHT NOW.
Many of you have it much harder than I do. Some have chronic pain. Some have debilitating trauma. But no one’s affliction should be compared to another’s, nor should it be dismissed.
So to all of you out there who have physical or emotional suffering, I acknowledge that your stress is big and real and not fun at all. It’s what’s hobbling your life - even if it “could be worse.”
For those of us who are cut down physically or emotionally, we don’t want this to be the sum of our identity. We may be like a broken down pickup now, but we’re working hard to get our parts fixed so we can hit the road again.
We want to keep on truckin’ down life’s highway.

Got a Cop in Your Mirror?

3/7/2019

It didn’t take a cop in my side mirror to stop me in my tracks recently. It was a broken foot from a silly fall. Now as I lug around a cumbersome boot for six weeks, I can get pretty whiney. But I’ve discovered something that lifts me out of the dumps. And it’s all the more appropriate I practice it because the Spaniard Ignatius developed this technique nearly five hundred years ago after recovering from a leg wound.
     Here’s my adaptation of his Daily Examen. Several times a day, usually when rising and retiring, I consciously:
     ~REST in God’s PRESENCE - “You’re always with me. I’m never alone.”
     ~REJOICE in God’s PROVISION - “Thank you for a good night’s rest, for breaths of air.…”
     ~REFLECT on any emotional PAIN - “What’s bugging me here?”
     ~REACH for God’s PERSPECTIVE - “God, why am I bent out of shape about this? What can I do about it?”
     ~REVIEW my PLANS - “You always go ahead of me. Today, I intend to .… Is this aligned with your purposes?”
This is a great way to travel through my day, and helps me remember that true spirituality occurs not when I find a cop in my side mirror telling me what I’m doing wrong. It’s when I’m traveling along life’s highway with a personal guide at my side, the God-Man Jesus.
    Here's a song with lyrics that describes this journey.

My red badge of courage.

Croutons...
Chew on these seasoned bits of life for a little hope and humor along your highway.

JOIN ME ~ I’ll send brief, occasional posts to lighten your backpack. We're on this journey together.

Categories

Archives

March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017

Available on Amazon