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Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt

Chronic illness and pain are serious business, and they take up a good deal of our time. Often, when someone asks what I do I say, “Well, managing my health is much like a full-time job.” It might not be what they want to hear, but it’s true (as you well know, too!). But we…

A woman asked if she could talk to me. I said, “Sure.” The conversation that transpired went something like this: Talk….talk….talk…. “For $500 and 4 weekends, you could cure your lupus yourself.” No…no…no! She was persistent, but I’d heard all of the arguments before. “Your doctor doesn’t know this…” “You’re doing the wrong things…” etc.…

I know first-hand that dealing with the loss of a loved one is not easy. My brother died before he turned 40, and a good friend passed recently – she was younger than I am.  These holes in our hearts (truly, they are holes) will never quite fill. But with faith, time, and love of…

If a flare or excessive pain makes it difficult to reach out to friends (or post on any of the social media sites), we can become distanced very quickly. Beyond the walls of our home, life goes on. And when we emerge from our flare, it might seem as if we’re getting to know our…

Are there some places you  just don’t go to? Some ideas or images that make you immediately close your eyes and mind? Is there something within you that’s frozen – with fear and panic. This world can certainly bring on a sense of anxiety. And such worry can weigh heavily on us, making us heavier…

Last weekend’s newspaper carried a story of the annual environmental clean-up in one of the areas in Southern California. As we commemorate Earth Day on April 22, there will be many more, some along the shoreline and others in the alleys and sidestreets of more urban areas, and many will particpate. But many of us,…

My gift for growing things, especially African Violets, is a true blessing, especially on the days when I feel low, am experiencing a lot of pain, and just need to cocoon. I’m also finding some important lessons from my plants, and one that I learned recently is quite, well, illuminating (pardon the pun!). Turns out…

My heart goes out to everyone affected by the recent earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador. I remember well the awful feeling of violent upheaval that came with the first shock of the Northridge earthquake, and know that the next days and months will be full of challenges, pain, and grief. We might feel helpless, so…

Pain and illness can wear us down, and it’s not unusual for the fatigue to cause other, less physical feelings in us. One of these might be doubt: We can doubt our ability to get through the latest flare We can doubt the steadfastness of friends and family We can doubt the world’s ability to…

I’m very happy to say that I’ll be a guest on Relevant Radio’s “Morning Air” radio program on Wednesday, April 13, at 8:30 AM Central. Relevant Radio is a Catholic radio network available in a number of markets, mostly in the central part of the United States. You can listen in on their website if…
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