February, a month for nurturing hearts
With less than a week of February left, we realize the year 2017 is moving right along. It’s only a little over two weeks until daylight savings time begins and, in less than a month now, we’ll see the official first day of spring. Warm weather over the weekend, with temperatures in the 60s and even the 70s on Sunday, encourages us that the new season might be coming soon. Clumps of daffodils dotting the yard are in full bloom, their bright yellow faces bobbing in the wind, and the japonica bush out near the street is beginning to blossom. A flurry of seed catalogs is arriving in the mail and already Jim is talking about the need to clear off the garden beds.
It’s been good to hear from dear friends in recent days. My friend in Florida wrote of good times near the first of the year with visits from her nieces and their families from Kansas City and a celebration with her daughter and grandson, including the gift of a new wide-screen TV. Friend Gale in Tulsa sent news of a Super Bowl party at her daughter’s home and says she’s shopping for a smaller house in which to move. She’s looking for a one-story, hopefully closer to her daughter, son-in-law and new grandson. Finally, a note from a friend on Stagecoach Road reported bouts with flu and double pneumonia but brought the welcome news that her husband was home after a recent stay in the hospital.
February is National Heart Month and many magazine articles offer suggestions on how to improve one’s heart health. It was interesting to note in an article in this month’s Better Homes and Gardens that 80 percent of heart disease cases can be prevented by eating right, exercising and living healthy. Recent research shows that stress and poor sleep can increase your risk of a heart attack. The experts’ advice was to meditate to ease stress.
The article went right along with the Watchtower lesson our congregation studied on Sunday at the Kingdom Hall. The lesson gave pointers on dealing with stress and anxiety. It focused on four key ways to gain relief: by heartfelt prayer, by reading and meditating on God’s Word, by tapping into Jehovah’s holy spirit and by sharing one’s feelings with a trusted confidant. Other practical suggestions were: set appropriate priorities, have realistic expectations, make room in your schedule for some quiet time each day, enjoy Jehovah’s creation, keep a sense of humor, get regular exercise and get sufficient sleep.
The Billy V. Hall Senior Activity Center, which provides meals, socialization and recreation for area senior citizens, is conducting its “Have a Heart Campaign” during February. Donations to the center will help provide meals for home-bound seniors who might not otherwise be able to afford a meal. $15 will provide meals for one senior for a week, or you can contribute $30 and feed a senior for two weeks. Contributions can be made to feed a special person in your life or to honor someone. For only a few bucks, a person can make a big difference in someone’s life.
Many people celebrate Feb. 14 as Valentines Day, but to Jim and me it has other significance. Since we were married on August 14, I call it our half-year anniversary. An article on family relations in this month’s Awake magazine gave hints on how to treat one’s mate and recommended finding ways to show appreciation. A devotion in the book “Joy Breaks for Couples” echos the same thought, urging us to be cheerleaders for each other. And, finally, the authors of the national bestseller “The Good Marriage” were in agreement when they identified one of the tasks of a young married couple, if they want their marriage to succeed, as to provide nurturance and comfort to each other, satisfying each partner’s needs for dependency and offering continuing encouragement and support.
The weekend provided a couple of opportunities for pleasant outings with friends. I went to the Senior Center Friday evening to take photos at its sock hop and joined the folks there for hot dogs and root beer floats. Then I attended the monthly quilt class Saturday afternoon and enjoyed a tasty potluck lunch and an opportunity to see several projects the seamstresses have been working on during the winter months. Jim made a big potful of stew Friday evening, so there were plenty of leftovers for supper on Saturday and Sunday.
Susan Holland is a longtime resident of Benton County and a reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She can be reached by email at sholland@nwadg.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.