The last year of the pandemic has created uncertain and isolating times, which have impacted our wellbeing in many ways. It’s made us more aware of just how important our health really is, and what can happen when it’s not intact.
In December of 2019, Jane, a 40-year-old married woman with a son in elementary school, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Soon thereafter, her husband Michael became her primary caregiver— someone who provides ongoing assistance to and advocates for a care recipient, helping them through activities of daily life such as bathing, dressing, using the restroom and coordinating their care. Life was difficult but manageable. Then COVID-19 hit.
When you lose your critical lifeline at age five you cannot escape some brand of heartache. It impacts everything you do, your relationships, your health, and your ability to function in the world. As would be true for most children, my lifeline was my mom and any type of normal life trajectory halted when I lost her on a cold February day in Madison, South Dakota. My heartache has lasted for years.
Dr. Kristen Donnelly has been talking about and teaching empathy and inclusion for decades, and now she’s going to invite us to think differently about tolerance from her first TED stage. I caught up with Kristen to talk about her journey and her ongoing practice of gratitude.
Forget the typical post-breakup protocol, the healing process from an unhealthy relationship is a long and complicated road. Many victims of relationship abuse suffer in silence. Women can endure consistent, steady patterns of abuse within the walls of their homes, but bravely present a strong, put-together exterior for the world to see.