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The Jolly Month of May
Gift Ideas for Mom
Caregiver Tips©
May 2005
Contents
*Self Care Focus: The Jolly Month of May - Gift Ideas for Mom
**Words of Encouragement
***Book Award
****Reminders
*****Messages for Caregivers
******So Good I Want To Share It
*******Internet Sites 2Good2Miss
********Thank You
********* Self Care Tip
********** Share A Tip
Self Care Focus: The Jolly Month of May - Gift Ideas for Mom By Jo Cavanaugh
Give Mom Daily Inspiration and Support
When you look up caregiver in the dictionary you get a definition of someone that will assist, cherish, entertain, help, nurse, raise, shelter, and sustain the needs of a child or dependent adult. If that isn't Mom I don't know who it is.
Give a Gift Subscription to "Once a Day and Twice on Sunday" and show Mom how much you appreciate her assistance, help, shelter, and care.
What could be more loving and a great way to show that you care? Mom will receive an email message every day and a reminder of your support and love. An additional special for May 2005 is a bonus autographed copy of the #1 Best Seller, "Wake Up Live the Life You Love; Finding Personal Freedom". Order Your Gift and get your bonus now.
Subscribe to an Audio Book Program
I love listening to an audio book when I'm on long car trips. I also remember many hours of enjoyment reading to my father or husband when they were in the hospital. Now there is a service that provides "talking books" that you can rent at: Simply?Audiobooks?-?Rent?Unlimited?CD?Audio?Books
What fun to share the story with your care receiver and not have to turn pages!
What a great gift for Mom, a subscription to talking books so she can relax with a cup of tea and listen to her favorite books. Learn more here:
 
Gardening Was Never Easier
Warmer weather means you will be spending more time outside. Mom will appreciate a gardening project or tools to make her gardening more enjoyable. Gardener's Supply Company
Gardener's Supply has a special offer for the month of May.
10% off on Gardening Supplies at Gardener's Supply Company!
Baskets Galore
If you don't have time to create your own basket, let  GiftBaskets.com create one for you. Select from their many different designs.
Spring Specials at GiftBaskets.com
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Words of Encouragement
The Origins of Mother's Day
By Patricia Fason
Mother's Day is, in many countries, a day for celebrating motherhood and thanking mothers. Mothers often receive gifts on this day, and it is a huge time of year for mail. In 1973, the U.S. Postal Service was held up for 8 days because of the constant flow of letters and cards.
Origins
Mother's day has evolved in many countries in different ways. This is because mother's day has different origins in different countries and therefore occurs on different days in the year.
One school of thought claims that this day emerged from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus, was held on March 15 to March 18 around Asia Minor. They insist that this custom spread around the world.
Mothering Sunday is the celebration of motherhood in the United Kingdom. It takes place on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This Sunday is also known as Mid-lent Sunday, Rose Sunday and Laetare Sunday. Traditionally the children will bring gifts of flowers and chocolates to their mother. Breakfast in bed is also an expectation, as is a relaxing, carefree day. It originally comes from the Victorian practice of allowing servants to return home to visit their mothers on this day.
United States Origins
Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) was a prominent American abolitionist, social activist, and poet. Howe's Battle Hymn of the Republic was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1862 and quickly became one of the most popular songs for the Union during the American Civil War. After the war she focused her activities on the causes of Pacifism and women's suffrage. In 1870 she was the first to proclaim Mother's Day, with her Mother's Day Proclamation.
Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis (September 30, 1832 - May 9, 1905) was born in Culpeper, Virginia. Jarvis worked around what is now West Virginia to promote worker health and safety concerns. During the American Civil War she organized women to tend to the needs of the wounded of both sides. After the war she became active in the promotion of Mother's Day, a holiday at that time involved with the causes of pacifism and social activism. She organized meetings for mothers of soldiers on both sides of the late war.
Her daughter Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864 - November 24, 1948) of Grafton, West Virginia held a memorial to her mother on the second anniversary of her mother's death (1907) and then went on a quest to make Mother's Day a recognized holiday. In 1908 formal observances were held in churches in Grafton and Philadelphia. By 1911 every state celebrated the occasion on the second Sunday in May. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day as a national holiday and ordered the United States flag displayed on all public buildings.
Remember to tell your mom how much you appreciate her by going to see her, calling her, or sending her a gift. Mothers deserve at least one day a year to feel special.
sources - wikipedia.org and Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 1997
Patricia Fason is a writer and poet. To see more of her work visit Sites O Web Romances You. For suggestions on what to get your mom this year for Mother's Day visit The Gift Boutique Mother's Day Section.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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Book Award
Sue, a caregiver from Woodstock, Georgia, will be sent Ask and You Shall Succeed, by Ken D. Foster. Enjoy the read.
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Reminders
Don't forget that May is:
Mental Health Month
National Mental Health Association and
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
2001 North Beauregard Street, 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
(800) 969-6642
www.nmha.org
National Celiac Sprue Awareness Month
Celiac Sprue Association/USA
P.O. Box 31700
Omaha, NE 68131-0700
(877) 272-4272
celiacs@csaceliacs.org
www.csaceliacs.org
Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Lyme Disease Foundation
P.O. Box 332
Tolland, CT 06084
(800) 886-5963
(860) 870-0070
lymefnd@aol.com
www.lyme.org
National Sight-Saving Month: Ultraviolet Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness America
500 East Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(800) 331-2020
info@preventblindness.org
www.preventblindness.org
National Neurofibromatosis Month
National Neurofibromatosis Foundation
95 Pine Street, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10005
(800) 323-7938
nnff@nf.org
www.nf.org
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month
National Osteoporosis Foundation
1232 22nd Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 223-2226
communicatioins@nof.org
www.nof.org
National Trauma Awareness Month
American Trauma Society
8903 Presidential Parkway, Suite 512
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-2656
(800) 556-7890
info@amtrauma.org
www.amtrauma.org
Older Americans Month
Administration on Aging
Washington, DC 20201
(202) 619-0724
AoAInfo@aoa.gov
www.aoa.gov
Skin Cancer Awareness Month
American Cancer Society
1599 Clifton Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(800) ACS-2345
www.cancer.org
Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 402
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 7-ASTHMA
info@aafa.org
www.aafa.org
Better Hearing and Speech Month
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
10801 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852
(800) 638-8255
actioncenter@asha.org
www.asha.org
Better Sleep Month
Better Sleep Council
501 Wythe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8371
bsc@sleepproducts.org
www.bettersleep.org
National Arthritis Month and Annual Arthritis Walk
Arthritis Foundation
1330 West Peachtree Street, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30309
(800) 283-7800 General Information
(877) 232-2898 Walk Information
www.arthritis.org
National High Blood Pressure Education Month
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Health Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
(301) 592-8573
(240) 629-3246 Fax
nhlbiinfo@rover.nhlbi.nih.gov
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month
Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
801 Roeder Road, Suite 750
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(800) 225-6872
(301) 562-9890
info@tsalliance.org
www.tsalliance.org
Healthy Vision Month
National Eye Institute
2020 Vision Place
Bethesda, MD 20892-3655
(301) 496-5248
hvm@nei.nih.gov
www.healthyvision2010.org/hvm/
National Bike Month
League of American Bicyclists
1612 K Street, NW , Suite 800
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 822-1334 Fax
ryan@bikeleague.org
www.bikemonth.com
Don't miss the June 2005 issue of "Caregiver Tips©" with tips and information
on "Celebrate Change."
iBALANCE? Teleclasses
Are you longing for the time before caregiving? What to find a way to get
back to your dreams and goals? Enroll in iBALANCE? a four-part teleclass
designed to help you take control of your life.
Meet once a week on the telephone and give yourself an hour to clear away the
guilt and stress of caregiving. Develop tools and tricks to become more
comfortable with caregiving. Learn life skills that will change your life for
the better.
Click this link to get more information about teleclasses:
Get More Teleclass Information Here
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Messages for Caregivers
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So Good I Want To Share It
I received this message from a fellow caregiver. I don't have the author's name but it sure made me think. Does it apply to you?
READ THIS. LET IT REALLY SINK IN. THEN CHOOSE.
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose
the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your
choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.I saw Michael about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of
his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the
choice to live fully.
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Internet Sites 2Good2Miss
See Your House from Outer Space
Go to ---> http://terraserver.microsoft.com
1) Select the link "Advanced Find".
2) Select the link "Address".
3) Key in your address and select "GO".
4) In the "Available Image" column select "Urban Areas".
What you'll see is a satellite photo of your house. In fact,
key in any address and you can view it, enlarge it, zoom it and pan it.
You can see the topo & the area too.
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Thank You
I also want to thank those that have sent an email with a
request for information. I enjoy hearing from you and hope
that I can provide some support or help when you need it. Please
continue to send me your comments and requests.
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Self Care Tip
10 Simple Coping Strategies When a Family Member Has Clinical Depression
By Elizabeth Tull
1. Remember that it is an illness:
Clinical depression often requires medical supervision as well as professional treatment. Clinical depression is treatable and requires commitment, understanding and patience from all those involved.
2. It is not your fault:
Clinical depression is usually a combination of chemical imbalance and learned behaviors. There may be times when the depressed individual is extremely sensitive, argumentative and/or blaming towards you, the children, the in-laws, the boss and even the world. All the above mentioned are not the cause. What you are responsible for is how you choose to take on the outward symptoms and how they affect you, your home and your relationships.
3. Be well informed:
Educate yourself on what type of depression is present and if there is a dual diagnosis
IE: chemical dependency and depression or personality disorders and depression. Know what the symptoms, treatments and follow-ups are. There are suggested guidelines for communication and setting boundaries. Though the illness is not your fault; it benefits you and your family to remain open minded and willing to learn new ways of doing things.
4. Make sure to have a support network:
Depression and dual diagnosis affects the whole family. There are many ranges of emotions from anger and fear to hopefulness and hopelessness. Having others that have experienced it before can help eliminate unhealthy coping mechanisms such as isolation, shame, control and low self-esteem. There are many national and local support groups available on line. For more information check with your favorite search engines or call a local and/or national mental health hotline.
5. Make time for yourself and your children:
Don't fall into the trap of not taking care of yourselves. Misery and fear love company. Living with and loving someone who is clinically depressed can be incredibly draining. Do not become a hostage or enabler. Remember your flight instructions: "For those traveling with small children; place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then assist the children.?
6. Be a victor not a victim:
Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional:
We are all going to feel pain in life never mind a home with mental illness. Surround yourselves with knowledge, self-care, experienced support and nurturing. There are no such things as victims only volunteers.
7. Recognize that clinical depression is episodic
Clinical depression comes in waves. People with clinical depression do get better!
8. Understand that medication takes time to work:
In most cases, improvement takes as long as 6-8 weeks. Even early responders require about 3-4 weeks before they notice mood improvement. Even after a person with clinical depression feels better, she or he needs to stay on medication at least six months. People should never stop taking medication on their own; medical supervision is a must. There can be serious physical and emotional complications from sudden withdrawal such as increased depression and suicidal tendencies.
9. Medication alone is fairly ineffective:
Research shows that medication in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective than medication alone. Combined with therapy, the person who is clinically depressed may need to make lifestyle changes, including dietary and exercise changes. The family needs to find ways to reduce stressors by simplifying their lives.
10. Get a written relapse prevention plan:
Make a list of early symptoms such as sleep, appetite and mood changes. Early intervention is the key to stopping a downward spiral. Determine what worked in the past to get the person with clinical depression back on track and do the things that worked before.
Elizabeth Tull is a Professional Excellence coach who partners with people in crafting and designing Legacies of Excellence. Her focus is on bridging the recovery community to professional coaching as well as support for families dealing with clinical depression in the home. Visit her on the web http://www.agapelegacycoach.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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Share A Tip
Share a tip and receive a CareSsentials Mirror/Sewing Kit.
Have a great tip that you want to share on self care, coping,
or humor that has helped you through the day?
Share the tip with us and receive a self-care gift for your
kindness and generosity.
Email your tips to the link below and please include your mailing
address so I can mail you the mirror/sewing kit.
Share a Tip
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Take care and don't forget to give yourself a gift this month,
Jo Cavanaugh
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