How old am I? I’m about to turn 70 on Groundhog Day.
How old am I? When I was a little girl, I saw a children’s encyclopedia with an illustration depicting the lifespans of different species, and the lifespan for humans was 70.
How old am I? As I mentioned in Thursday’s blog post, I’m older than expected to be, and it’s wonderful.
How old am I? I’m old enough to share these images with you.
How old am I? Old enough (1) to admit that I almost wrote about hugs today before I knew it was National Hugging Day and (2) to stick with my chosen topic without rewriting what I have so far.
How old am I? Old enough to do what I want without regret or fear.
Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “how old am I?”
How old am I? I’m old enough to be grateful for every day and for you!
One thousand, six hundred, and ninety-five days ago (but who’s counting?), I wrote about other people’s opinions. I don’t know what your opinion is about that, but here are some opinions about other people’s opinions:
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Do you see other people’s opinions in my other images for today?
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The Daily Bitch always has opinions and here’s what I find when I search for “other people’s opinions” on YouTube.
I look forward to reading other people’s opinions about this post and thanks to all who helped me write it, including YOU!
Today’s Daily Bitch Calendar reminds me of sayings about knowledge like “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing” and “ignorance is bliss.”
I do know what I’m talking about when it comes to living your whole life with a rare heart condition, and it hasn’t always been easy. Yesterday, when I went for an echocardiogram, I was uneasy with the knowledge that the September echo I had in Georgia (when I had a T.I.A. or a “mini-stroke) had indicated there was “severe regurgitation” from my mechanical valve. My long-time cardiologist, Dr. Deeb Salem (who has lots of knowledge), told me that might mean the valve needed to be replaced or that a clot, since dissolved, might have caused temporary regurgitation.
Yesterday I made sure the echocardiogram sonographer had the knowledge about that earlier echo. Based on my experience in medical systems, I had the knowledge that she couldn’t really tell me the results yesterday. I knew I wouldn’t receive the official knowledge of whether or not I needed a new valve and another open heart surgery until later, after somebody with more knowledge had interpreted and documented the results. However, I really wanted reassuring knowledge yesterday after holding this scary knowledge for a while, so while watching and listening to her perform the echo and not having the knowledge to interpret the results as they were happening, I carefully said this: “What would it look like if there were severe regurgitation around a mechanical valve?” and I got the knowledge I wanted when she replied, “Not like what we’re seeing here.”
That knowledge made me very, very happy.
What knowledge is there in my other images for today?
I’m definitely going to celebrate today (with popcorn) my latest good news and the knowledge that I’ve really beaten the odds of life expectancy for my heart condition. When I see Dr. Salem next month, I’m going to ask him what it was like to be my doctor, starting when I was 27, having knowledge like this (which I just found when I googled my heart condition):
Dr. Salem, in all our years of working together, never conveyed that knowledge to me and here I am, about to turn 70! Also, I have the knowledge that some people with CCTGA have made it into their 90s and why shouldn’t I be one of those?
Here’s what I find when I look for “knowledge” on YouTube.
Thanks to all who help me share knowledge through these daily posts, including YOU!
I just searched for a definition of “brain space” online and and found this…
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… and this:
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I actually meant “brain space” and I asked a question about it last night on Twitter.
We over-thinkers often give too much brain space to difficult people and situations we can’t control. Here’s a famous quote from Ann Landers about that:
What’s taking up brain space for me, here and now, is an echocardiogram test I’m having this afternoon. I’m hoping the results show my mechanical valve working properly, because needing another open heart surgery would take up way too much brain space.
Home repairs and potential problems also take up too much brain space, but I’m working on that.
Can you see other things taking up brain space in my images for today?
Today, I choose to give brain space to cats and Winnie the Pooh.
Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “brain space.”
That Scrubs clip about Dr. Cox’s brain space reminds me of a college professor telling his class that he was not going to learn any of the names of his students “because whenever I remember a student’s name, I forget the name of a fish.”
I always have brain space for gratitude, so thanks to all who helped me find the brain space to create this blog post, including YOU.
Because I’m a psychotherapist, a blogger, and a denizen of Twitter, I spend a lot of time responding to others.
Sometimes I feel guilty that I’m not responding more quickly and completely to responses here and on Twitter, but I’m responding to guilt the way I suggest others respond — I’m letting go of it.
Lately, I’ve been responding better to people who respond differently than I do. For example, when my husband Michael and I saw the musical Preludes this weekend, we discovered we were responding very differently: I liked it and he disliked it. Instead of responding negatively to that, I accepted Michael’s viewpoint and was also able to stay with my positive feelings about the play. I have to admit it’s taken me many years to reach that evolved level of responding.
Because responding effectively and appropriately can be complicated, I tweeted this simple Daily Bitch resolution/solution yesterday:
Now I’m wondering how you’ll be responding to that and the other images in today’s blog post.
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The Daily Bitch seems to be letting go of guilt about how she’s been responding.
Here are musicians responding to each other in the movie Whiplash.
Thanks to all who are responding to this blog post here and now, including YOU!
Where would we be without googling? I’m not sure, but lately I’ve been noticing questions on Twitter that start with “Without googling,” like this one:
Therefore, I decided to ask questions beginning with “Without googling,” too.
Without googling, I know that many people on Twitter are smart, funny, and otherwise awesome.
Without googling, I captured all of these images:
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Without googling, I can’t find the holidays for each day.
Without googling, what song am I going to include in today’s blog post?
Without googling, who is very grateful for all those who help her create this daily blog?
Yesterday, I was good enough and smart enough to talk to another licensed therapist about Stuart Smalley and that catchphrase. In EMDR therapy, I’ve been working on believing that I’m good enough and smart enough to trust myself, and I imagined saying those affirmations to myself and believing them.
I’m good enough, I’m smart enough to realize that even though Stuart was a character on a sketch comedy show, he is still good enough and smart enough to help others, including myself.
Are my images for today good enough and smart enough?
Thanks to all those who are good enough and smart enough to help me create this daily blog, including YOU.
Yesterday, I found the confidence and the skill to facilitate a group for the doctors at the hospital where I work. I’ve found that I often get anxious about doing something new, especially when it’s important to me, but it usually turns out fine.
Here are other things I’ve found lately:
my phone, after losing it on the day I wrote a blog post about losing things,
joy in the prospect of turning 70 years old on Groundhog Day,
all the tiles for our shower remodel, and
what’s pictured in my images for today.
I’ve found that I don’t have to work harder, for heaven’s sake, but I am telling my ex-husband (who reads this blog but sometimes just looks at the pictures of Joan) that today is Kiss a Ginger Day (since our son Aaron is a ginger). Also, I’ve found that it helps to remember my late father (also named Aaron) who was a pharmacist.
Here’s what I’ve found when I searched for “what I’ve found” on YouTube:
I’ve found reading your comments so valuable (even if it takes me some time to respond).
I’ve found gratitude for everyone who helps me create this daily blog, including YOU!
