When our family of five moved here in early 1993, our youngest child requested my painting a mural for his bedroom. At the center of a couple dozen images of his favorite cartoon characters and sports figures was a likeness of Alfred E. Newman, a portrait that has stood the test of time since the mid-1950s in Mad Magazine with his thought, “What, me worry?”
Lately PN’s inbox has been inundated with news about forums dedicated to mental health issues. Mindful that May was Mental Health Awareness Month, we might have expected that focus. Yet, for 21 years, despite bumpy roads along the information highway, our Positively Naperville mission has been to look at the bright side, aiming to help make a positive difference by featuring a variety of choices that include special events, volunteer opportunities and activities that benefit and enrich daily life.
Still, since March 2020, providing supportive, helpful opportunities for readers to manage worries in a better way, transforming thought habits for the long-term benefit of your and my wellbeing has admittedly been a challenge, created by many unknowns.
Many years ago, my mother created a story quilt that graced a wall near my parents’ bedroom. The nighttime scene featured a starry dark blue sky with a crescent moon in various Calico prints. The hand-stitched message said, “Before you go to bed, give your troubles to God. He’ll be up all night anyway.”
Many times the image of that wall hanging, stuck in my mind, has been a reminder to feel safe.
I also recall a worry stone that my dad carried in his pants pocket. The smooth, polished oval-shaped stone with a thumb-sized indentation was used for relaxation and relief. My dad had a tough exterior. He served the Navy Seabees in World War II. After college on the G.I. Bill, he taught shop, then started a general construction company, specializing in roofing. Using hand tools had created some arthritis, especially in his right hand. Rubbing the worry stone created comfort. I remember seeing the stone placed on top of his dresser every evening along with his pocket change. And I wondered, did Dad worry?
Later I learned, through its calming action, a worry stone can help relieve muscle tension in other parts of your body if it’s caused by psychological stress.
As years passed, that worry stone disappeared, replaced by a stress ball that Dad held between the tip of a finger and the thumb—then the palm of his hand for a good squeeze.
My dad and mother also had staying power. Looking back to the calmer, gentler time of my childhood, my folks always seemed to have authority over every situation—physical, financial, emotional and spiritual. I felt loved unconditionally and safe.
Suggested Reading
According to one of those press releases I mentioned up top, author and licensed counselor/family therapist David Dennis sees a “pandemic of pity” (self-pity to be precise) and a “virus of victimhood” engulfing society. One of the reasons why, he suggests, is that people tend to focus on “the pain of the past, rather than on the potential of the future.”
I’m looking forward to a copy of Dennis’ new book, Gameness: Land on Your Feet, Not on Your Feelings.
Mindful of anxiety coming from all directions, I also ventured to Nichols Library to see if books that had been recommended to me were on the shelf. They were.
Both Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine M. Pittman, PhD, and Elizabeth M. Karle, MLIS; and You Are Not Your Brain by Jeffrey M. Schultz, M.D., and Rebecca Gladding, M.D. were listed as available.
Next I headed to downtown bookstores. I’m a bookaholic. I prefer having personal copies of books so I can highlight what I want to remember. When I requested help locating the titles, the bookseller asked, “Are you a psychiatrist?”
Minding the need for a lighthearted reply, I said, “No. And I don’t play one on TV.”
We located the books. After an incredibly busy May, my summer reading is set.
One more thing… As “June is bustin’ out all over,” credit goes to Rogers and Hammerstein for the lyrics from the Broadway hit, Carousel, that inspired our filling our pages with photos from May events, memories as reminders of things to do all summer long and then some.
“And the pleasant life of Riley
That is spoken of so highly
Is the life that ev’rybody wants to lead!
“Because it’s June!”
Thanks for reading and singing along.
And that mural? For the last decade, the wall has been papered over with images by Belgian artist René Magritte, leaving only the head of the impish red-headed Mad cover boy.
– Stephanie Penick, PN Publisher
Click here… May happenings provide places to visit during June and then some.
Father’s Day Updates
With Father’s Day on the minds of many every June, let us recommend a few videos…
Father of four Tom Hanks delivered one of the Commencement Addresses at Harvard last month. In case you missed it, the thoughtful address is chock full of humor, fond memories and messages of grace.
“Why is that truth so hard for some to accept, much less respect?,” asked Hanks in his closing remarks. “If you live in the United States of America, the responsibility is yours, ours. The effort is optional, but the truth. The truth is sacred, unalterable, chiseled into the stone of the foundation of our republic.”
If you grew up with The Donna Reed Show, you may recall teen actor Paul Petersen’s tribute to his dad.
And, of course, I’ll always remember my dad who left our family at age 96 on Aug. 6, 2019, just months before news of the COVID outbreak. Dad never would have tolerated how the pandemic was handled. I am so blessed that my brother thought to save a 7-second voicemail from my dad that speaks volumes. And I’m grateful that our son took time to post it on YouTube.
Dad would have celebrated his 100th birthday last month on May 18.
