Mental Health - Widower Experience (WX)

When I tell the people - that I discovered that I am stoic - they often say: "No not you! You are not a sourpuss or grinch!". And stoics are often seen as selfish and introverted to others.  Then I tell the people that I discovered that not long ago and that stoicism has nothing to do with being grim, sober, or humorless – a suppressing of emotions and withdrawal from the world – it is, in fact, a simple and immensely practical set of ways to deal with challenges in my point of view.  I see stoicism as a way of life, and by the way there is no formally agreed definition what it means in particular and for everyone. And a number of people think that stoicism doesn’t sound a laugh a minute, you might like to read what Seneca once said, “Laughter, and a lot of it, is the right response to the things which drive us to tears.” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, known simply as Seneca (or Seneca the Younger), was a stoic philosopher and rhetorician). Stoicism means to me living in acknowl...

We often have to walk a challenging path Beneath smoking skies Sometimes you can barely tell the difference Between darkness and lights Oh, it won't rain all the time The sky won't fall forever And the night seems long 'n' feels like crime there will be friends and we stand together Sometime life feels wrong, and And the days and nights seem long It's hard to believe that love will prevail But you, we stand together and we are strong It won't rain all the time and sky won't fall forever And your tears might fall There will be friends and we stand tall A poem for a friend   -   August 2022

" Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened " a quote by Theodor Seuss Geisel (American children's author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker) All too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Have you ever tried to hold on to a happy memory and thought so tightly that it hurt or almost made you hurt? People try so hard throughout their lives to hold on to memories of a happier time, almost to the point that that memory becomes a weight on their shoulders.  Every time we go back to that memory, the feelings of happiness and joy come back, if only for a moment, and then they go away, because life isn’t stuck in time. But of course this isn’t exactly the easiest thing to understand, so people get sad - and yes, they probably shed a tear or two… or three, or a hundred. It's OK and ...

As designer I am watching TED talks quite often and regularly - most often about design, creativity and everything which comes into play with it - but as well psychology. I have no idea why I missed this talk for so long. Today I listen to the TED talk of Beth Malone - and I love with how much love and feelings she honestly talked about her father, the situation and ways to deal with it. How my dad's dementia changed my idea of death (and life) - TED talk by Beth Malone With warmth and grace, Beth Malone tells the deeply personal story of her dad's struggle with frontotemporal lobe dementia, and how it changed how she thinks about death (and life). A moving talk about a daughter's love -- and of letting go and finding peace. I am standing in awe of Beth Malone - and everyone who shares honestly their thought - And I appreciate and I am grateful to everyone who is keeping and supporting these kind of open talks - talking about living and in worst case find your own ways ...

Appreciation is a central human need - and appreciation is so much more than reward and praise Appreciation always starts with yourself! You are the pivot of your being. The basis for the whole topic of appreciation is yourself - This includes self-awareness is indispensable and vital in this context ... your awareness of what a unique person you are ... with all your individual characteristics, gifts and abilities ... your way of expressing yourself, acting and reacting. I firmly believe you can not honestly appreciate others if you do not appreciate yourself and if you not really see and even partly understand yourself. Without this 'starting point' appreciation is just a compliment, a praise, and commendation.  A wareness and appreciation for yourself has different facets  ... ... for your unique combination of personality, character, traits and skills: your courage in a given situation, your perseverance, your dedication, your humor, your mind, and way seeing and...

We only hear a few notes - and we are already mentally traveling back in time, to a memory, to place or person we are connecting to it. Many songs are linked to people, places and experiences. Music has magical powers. It can make us happy or thoughtful, can comfort us or uplift us. Our life would not be the same without sounds and tones. We experience many feelings more intensely through them. Perhaps the greatest benefit of music is that it can reunite us with feelings we need, but have lost touch with. It can offer dignity to our sorrows, framing and containing what might otherwise be unmanageable grief. Music returns us to life, gently nudging us to return to the side of generosity, hope and compassion. It can take us beyond the everyday world, to transcend the ordinary and view ourselves from a lofty height. It reconnects us with our instinctual, bodily selves when reason, logic and discipline are in danger of crushing us. And it can break down the barriers between strangers – urg...

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat im Februar 2020 entschieden:  Es gibt ein Recht auf selbstbestimmtes Sterben.   Der Paragraf 217 des Strafgesetzbuch, der von 2015 bis 2020, im Prinzip, Sterbehilfe in Deutschland völlig unmöglich machte,  verstößt gegen das Grundgesetz. In den Jahren von 2015 bis 2020 sorgte der § 217 StGB dazu, dass das Recht auf Selbsttötung in weiten Teilen faktisch unmöglich war. Der Entschluss zur Selbsttötung ist in seiner Umsetzung an entscheidenden Stellen davon abhängig, dass Dritte bereit sind, Optionen und Hilfe zum Suizid zu gewähren, zu verschaffen und zu vermitteln. In rechtlicher Hinsicht müssten diese Dritten ihre Bereitschaft auch umsetzen dürfen, so auch das BVerfG. Die unter § 217 StGB verbliebenden Optionen aber waren nur noch eine theoretische, nicht eine echte Aussicht auf Selbstbestimmung. Sterbehilfe in Deutschland: seit 2015 verboten – jetzt wieder erlaubt? ... JA! Was sagte Paragraf 217 im Strafgesetzbuch aus? Der Parag...