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This blog shares food, fitness and lifestyle tips, to help elevate mind, body, and spirit.
“Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act.”
~ Albert Einstein
I am a lifelong learner with several decades of experience as a parent, caregiver, employee, writer, speaker, and wellness consultant. More recently, I have become a grandmother.
My curiosity, life experience and love of learning compel me to teach what I've had the privilege to learn - and unlearn.
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When our parents become dependent
Aging parents show us the true meaning of patience, love, and the circle of life. Observing the age-related dependency and cognitive decline in our parents nudges me to do what I can now to reduce the likelihood that my children will have to look after me. Unlike the rapid growth of infancy, aging can be a gradual process of decline in which the body and brain lose capacity rather than gain new skills. Yet, we can easily overlook this decline in our parents until we face it
Mary Maciel Pearson
3 days ago2 min read
If I change the way I look at things...
When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves. ~ Viktor E. Frankl By reframing the challenges that arise in my life as opportunities to learn, unlearn and re-learn, I am able to remain calm and make a difference in whatever way I can. We cannot change the fact that my mother and my husband's mother, who are ill, now need support from their children. We are grateful to have siblings who are all doing their part. Much as I prefer to be
Mary Maciel Pearson
Apr 102 min read
Self-care is a gift to our children
Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young. ~ Fred Astaire I can't say it's been easy, but I continue to show up to help my mother, who has now been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, in a loving way. Her memory has deteriorated quickly since her previous cognitive assessment in 2023. Mom had always been sharp with numbers. Three years ago, she could easily count backwards by 7. This time, when asked by a geriatrician what 100-7 equalled, she
Mary Maciel Pearson
Apr 31 min read
My nervous system needs a reset
Seeing a deer pause in the quiet woods taught me that stillness isn’t inaction; it’s the moment your spirit gathers enough truth to rise again. - Unknown The last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy. Again, I have been challenged to prioritize the needs of others. My nervous system, which had been on overdrive, needed a reset. So, a few days early, I packed everything up from our temporary winter home and headed back to the cottage. My husband went to visit his mother
Mary Maciel Pearson
Mar 271 min read
Loving unconditionally
Unconditional love is the outer expression of inner peace. ~ Louise Hay It's March Break. We have been caring for our two-year-old and four-year-old granddaughters at the cottage, while our daughter, their mother, works in the bunkie. They fill the house with joy and they love being here. Complicating matters for us is the fact that my mother and my husband's mother are ill and in need of our attention. At times, we are a little distracted. Last night, just as I'd managed to
Mary Maciel Pearson
Mar 201 min read
When science becomes religion
Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt. ~ Richard P. Feynman Religion and science are both systems of belief. Science is evidence-based and thus subject to constant revision and falsification. In contrast, religion is faith-based. It demands belief in the absence of evidence. The phrase “evidence-based” originates from the concept that decisions should be grounded in data, research, or verifiable facts rather than opinion, tradition, or intuition. It e
Mary Maciel Pearson
Mar 131 min read
People aren't bad, they do bad things
The fact is that people are good, Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behaviour. ~ Abraham Maslow Yesterday morning I was reading books to our granddaughter. One book had bible stories. I was surprised to find instances of people being described as “bad” or “evil” in a children's book. I found myself reframing sentences that attacked character, instead describing people as behaving badly. I had to explain
Mary Maciel Pearson
Mar 61 min read
Success requires trade-offs
I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything, at least not at the same time. ~ Dan Millman I was recently introduced to The Four Burner Theory, a time-management concept popularized by James Clear . Imagine your life as a stove with four burners, each representing a major area: Family Friends Health Work To be truly successful, we must power off one burner. To be extremely successful, we must power off two. In other words, we cannot run all four burners on h
Mary Maciel Pearson
Feb 271 min read
Family is a core value
What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family. ~ Mother Teresa Yesterday morning, while catching up with a highly accomplished friend, I mentioned that because family had once again become a core value, I found myself neglecting other aspects of my life. My friend reminded me that a coach had once told her that family is not a core value. A core value is a fundamental belief that guides a person’s decisions, actions, and priorities. When someone says f
Mary Maciel Pearson
Feb 201 min read
Reuniting and it feels so good
Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much. ~ Helen Keller Social bonds play a crucial role in healthy aging. Research consistently shows that strong, meaningful relationships with family, friends, and community can promote physical health and mental well-being, while social isolation and loneliness pose serious risks comparable to smoking or obesity. Finally reconnecting Building… bridges for connection may never have been more important than it is right now…
Mary Maciel Pearson
Feb 131 min read
Feeling my feelings
The unexamined life is not worth living. ~ Socrates Sometimes we create physical pain to numb emotional pain. Old wounds may resurface, and we cannot bear to confront them. One morning, I woke up feeling unbearable grief and sorrow. I could not bear it. I pride myself on not ever succumbing to states of depression or anxiety, but that morning, I did not have the will to get up. Long story short, shortly thereafter, I ended up with a diagnosis of double lung pneumonia. The pri
Mary Maciel Pearson
Feb 61 min read
Ready to come home
The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back. ~ Wendy Wunder My husband picked a great time to escape this very cold and snowy Canadian winter. The tropical warmth and sunshine have been very healing. Watching the sun rise and set, along with the reprieve from daily chores, has been a welcome retreat. As we’d hoped, we have spent a lot of time outdoors. But I am ready to come home. I could not live in the tropics. I apprecia
Mary Maciel Pearson
Jan 301 min read
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