Monthly Archives: April 2023

Day 3753: Huggable

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Last night, after I unexpectedly saw a huggable animal at the end of a difficult day at work, I asked this question on Twitter:

I didn’t hug that huggable kitty who was lounging on the top of a car in the lot where I had parked for my hectic and challenging day at the hospital. However, hanging out with that cat helped me feel more huggable.

I don’t know why human beings often feel less huggable when we are stressed out or in emotional distress — the very times when we would benefit greatly from hugs.

I do know that when I got home from work I asked my husband Michael for a hug, which helped me feel more huggable.

Do you see anything huggable in my other images for today?

No matter how you feel about lawyers, there are many huggable things on that list today, including “Louie Louie” which inspired my huggable son when he was a very huggable 12 year old.

Thanks to all the huggable creatures who help me blog every day, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, April 11 2023, cats, crepuscular animals, gratitude, human beings, Louie Louie, Misheard Lyrics, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, What helps | 10 Comments

Day 3752: Naming it

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Naming it, for me, means

awareness,
acknowledgment,
identifying and accepting all feelings,
speaking one’s truth,
letting go of judgment, and
moving on to effective action.

I’m naming it when I acknowledge that I’ve written other posts about naming it in my ten years of blogging (including here and here).

I was naming it earlier this morning when I realized

I’m nervous about our cat Joan’s apparent eye infection,
it’s difficult to put drops in a cat’s eyes,
I don’t like taking the cats to the vet but we’ll be taking them both in soon,
I am going on a river cruise down the Rhine in three weeks,
I have to finish my speech for a hospital building dedication ceremony in May when they’ll be naming it after my wonderful cardiologist, Dr. Deeb Salem,
I wonder whether we’ll get better attendance for a support group I’m facilitating for doctors, nurses, and other treaters at the hospital where I work if we change it from a remote group to a “hybrid” group which combines remote and in-person,
I’m anxious about facilitating a hybrid group because I’ve never done one before, and
I would like to reduce my work hours on Fridays, spending more time on music and writing about my Coping and Healing groups for patients.

Naming it always helps me. Do you see naming it in my images for today?

I’m naming it when I say that I’m not working from home on Global Work from Home Day and I’m looking forward to the chocolate chip cookies a group member is bringing to today’s in-person Coping and Healing group.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “naming it.”

I look forward to people naming it in the comments, below.

I’m naming it at the end of each blog post when I express my gratitude to YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: April 10 2023, “Respond to Emotion by Naming It” from Comms Lab, cats, Dr. Deeb Salem, fried matzah, hospitals, Name Yourself Day, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 3751: What matters most

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Ann Koplow

As I’m thinking about what matters most, I’m noticing that two of my images for today coincidentally address what matters most.

What matters most may be different for different people, but what matters most is that there’s room for differences and opportunities for people to work together for what matters most.

Do you see what matters most in my other images for today?

What matters most is letting those we love know how much they matter, so Happy Birthday, Jeanette, and healing wishes to our mutual friend, Janet!

What matters most is knowing we’re not alone and that’s why I wrote my song “Triggers.”

What matters most at the end of every blog post is thanking all who matter to me, including YOU!

Categories: original song, personal growth | Tags: animals, April 9 2023, Brassica, Buddha, fat noodles, gratitude, Jamaica Plain, the South Shore of Boston, triggers, Twitter | 7 Comments

Day 3750: Use your senses to be in the moment

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Ann Koplow

When I do a mindfulness exercise in my Coping and Healing groups, I say “use your senses to be in the moment.” Sometimes the mindfulness exercise focuses on one sense — hearing, sight, taste, smell, or touch — and sometimes it combines senses. No matter what senses we use, we try our best to be in the moment, taking a break from anxious thoughts about the future and regretful thoughts about the past.

As you look at my images for today’s blog post, use your senses to be in the moment.

As usual, the Daily Bitch is using her senses to be in the moment.

Here’s what I find on YouTube for “use your senses to be in the moment.”

Use your senses to be in the moment, experiencing my gratitude for YOU.

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: A Mindful Moment…Using Our Senses to Feel Grounded, April 8 2023, cats, coping and healing groups, definition of “haptic”, eyes, favorite poets, mindfulness exercises, Suffolk County Council, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 3749: Legacies

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Ann Koplow

I’m at the age when people often think about the legacies they are leaving behind. My legacies include

my therapy groups,
my original songs,
my blog posts,
my tweets, and
my wonderful son.

Do you see legacies in my images for today?

Randy Rainbow has created a lasting legacy of amazing songs; here is his latest:

Thanks to all who create legacies and help me create mine, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: April 7 2023, “Everyone’s Talking About Jamie”, “Grumpy Trumpy Felon from Jamaica in Queens”, children, epitaphs, Poet in a Cupcake Day, Randy Rainbow, taradiddles, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Twitter, what we leave behind | 4 Comments

Day 3748: What do you appreciate?

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Ann Koplow

What do you appreciate about yourself and others?

I appreciate people who

listen,
are kind,
have a sense of humor,
are honest,
are loving, and
appreciate life.

What do you appreciate about my images for today?

I’m not so delusional to think I’m famous but I do appreciate that people like me on the internet.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “What do you appreciate?”

I also find this:

Two four six eight, who do I appreciate? You!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: Anaya Elem Music, Appreciating the little things in life, appreciation, April 6 2023, “Who Do We Appreciate?”, cats, Passover, Rose Chachko, The Daily Bitch Calendar, Town Meeting Bistro, Twitter | 14 Comments

Day 3747: The Four Questions

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Ann Koplow

It’s Passover and one of the important parts of a Passover Seder is the youngest participant asking the four questions.

Now that I’m thinking about this, one might say that there is one question — Why is this night different from all other nights? — answered four times.

However, the Seder readings that follow the four questions answer why we eat matzah, eat bitter herbs, dip food twice, and eat reclining during this night that is different from other nights.

I have wonderful memories of asking/singing the four questions when I was the youngest at the family Seder. Tonight, I will be sharing a Passover dinner with four beloved people — my son Aaron, my husband Michael, my ex-husband Leon, and my cousin Lani. I don’t know if we’ll ask the traditional four questions, but maybe we’ll ask four questions from this packet I found on Monday as I was cleaning up my office at work:

Or maybe we’ll ask four questions from this book:

Do you have four questions about the other images I am sharing today?

In case you have any questions about this, I don’t think you suck. Quite the contrary, as you can tell from this question:

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “the four questions.”

I also find this,

this,

and this.

Unquestionable gratitude to those who help me ask all the questions in this blog, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: April 5 2023, “These Four Simple Questions Will Change How You Think About Everything”, cats, Idina Mendel, If…Questions for the Soul, Nick Kroll, Passover, questions, The Daily Bitch Calendar, The Maccabeats, the South Shore of Boston, Twitter, World of Wonder | 16 Comments

Day 3746: You are here

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Ann Koplow

You are here and so am I. As I say in every Coping and Healing group, thanks for showing up exactly the way you are here.

You are here, perhaps, to see my images for today.

You are here to witness how amazing it is that a carrot-colored man who tells lies and has been accused of sexual assault is being indicted on International Carrot Day, Tell a Lie Day, National Sexual Assault Awareness Month’s Day of Action Day, and (if all that weren’t enough) World Rat Day.

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “you are here.”