Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt

I watched the events in Dallas and elsewhere unfold into the late hours on Thursday and could feel myself sicken at what I saw and heard. I know many people experienced the same kind of physical reaction, a kind of pervasive emotional nausea that oozed into the spirit. Immediately, I turned to social media, but…

Want to change doctors? Think you could do better with someone else? Well… It’s not unusual to feel frustrated with your medical care at some point during the course of life with illness. Perhaps you have a friend who is so happy with his or her doctor that you think yours isn’t as good. Or,…

In 2012 I interviewed Sam Querrey, a professional tennis player from Thousand Oaks, California. Sam had had more than his share of injuries, and was just about to make a comeback at a tournament in Los Angeles. But even with the best of preparation, his career did not quite reach the level that was equal…

  I’ve always been fascinated with 18th Century American history. The ideas and actions of the men and women who molded the early days of this country were a diverse group, hailing from different backgrounds and social levels, as well as various locations and parts of the American experience. But from north to south, east…

It was almost a cliche in theater classes, the line uttered by Blanche du Bois in Tennessee Williams’ epic play Streetcar Named Desire: “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”  But it really isn’t a cliche – it’s something each of us has experienced, felt, enjoyed. The kindness of strangers. We see a…

This time of year, many families are gathering in large or smaller groups to celebrate their relationships and relations. I really enjoy family reunions, and I always learn something new about my heritage, where I come from and who I am. There’s another benefit to attending reunions for people with chronic illness: We can learn…

At some point, it happens to each of us who has a serious chronic illness. We feel something “off,” and it doesn’t go away. Perhaps it is a dull pain. Or a sharp pang. Or a rash. Or a sudden swelling. And we think, “Oh, no. Not again. Really?!” We might have just been through…

A very good Election Day to you! Have you voted? Will you vote? I hope so! Even if it takes some extra effort, exercising our right to vote is one of the most important activities we can engage in -yes, even if you feel that with your health challenges you are more marginalized than mainstream.…

Sometimes, faith and our spirituality can seem separated from the stark reality in our lives. We know we should (and do) pray, read Scripture, worship and seek fellowship, but then we go out into the “big, bad world,” and meet all manner of challenges (well, most of the challenges have no manners…but you understand what…

So, Memorial Day, I turned on my television intending to watch a bit of the Indianapolis 500 auto race. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to revisit something I remember our family having to avoid when I was young; if we visited relatives in Illinois over the weekend of Memorial Day, we had to leave at…

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