(With a Bow of Debt to Jonathan Swift) It is a melancholy thought to remember a needle piercing the skin of one’s child – a mere babe – causing this precious offspring to howl with anguish. And for what? You brought said infant to the doctor in a state of health, and now a needle has penetrated that pristine skin. …
Every year the ACIP meets three times a year to discuss vaccines. The ACIP is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. One important task of the ACIP is to help choose the particular components of the flu vaccine that will be given in the fall. This is always a bit of a guess, because the vaccine release date is six …
If you are like me, every year January 1st catches me by surprise. That is, Christmas (preparations for which consumed my December) is barely over when I’m asked to make a New Year’s resolution. Could it be that time again? So this year I’m starting to think about it now, mid-December, and hope you do too. If you need ideas, …
(If the images do not come through on the newsletter, please go to my website www.amygivler.com to view them.) Stigma, anyone? I remember when I was diagnosed with cancer (Hodgkin’s lymphoma) in 1993 that I felt a tad of reluctance to tell people about it. It’s not that I could have kept it a complete secret, by any means, because …
[One of the defining moments of my brother John’s life was nearly dying on a multi-day climb of Half Dome, in Yosemite Valley. I wrote his story (from his perspective) and it was published in Guideposts Magazine in May, 2000. I greatly appreciate Guideposts giving me permission to make it available to my readers. John died on June 21, 2024, and I miss him …
Lord willing, our generation will never go through another pandemic. Lord willing, those living with Long Covid will be restored to full health. Lord willing, we will all heal from the emotional trauma of these past four years. How I do pray that the Lord is willing! Hearing “Lord willing” makes me think of Madge Huff, who helped raise our …
Opioids come from the opium poppy.
There’s a short film I’ve watched over and over. It’s brilliant and profound. It speaks to something we all long for, and yet receive precious little of: Validation. That’s also its title. The film opens with a sad, bedraggled man bringing his parking ticket to the attendant for validation. “Ah,” I thought the first time I saw it, “this movie …
Attachment Theory helps to explain grief. Grief is what happens when we humans experience loss. That is, when we lose something or someone, we need to go through a period of adjustment. That adjustment takes time, and it’s called “grief”. Why do some people sail through that period of adjustment, and others have a hard time? Many, many factors impact …