SurvivingSara

Tag: life

  • мы любим Россию

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    Sara Z
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    Freeze on aid to Ukraine. CIA ordered not to share information with Ukraine. Trump gave Putin two incredible gifts and may effectively end the war in favor of Russia without the need for messy negotiations where Zelensky might ask for stuff. We know Putin and Trump share an opinion about the Ukrainian leader. “Ukraine started…

  • Some things

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    Sara Z
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    The new year started with my plan to boycott all news because it made me so ill. Politics, fires, dismantling of the government by unelected and unqualified unknowns, climate change effects in real time, and the return to the highest office in the land of an orange man who claims to be the king. Much…

  • Note to Selves

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    Sara Z
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    To my high school self, class of 1982: You are enough. Even though your next older sister is a gorgeous cheerleader and model and you get so tired of hearing about it but, girl, you are so pretty. Only difference is she went to modeling school and you didn’t. Guys who compare you to her…

  • Don’t Should on Me

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    Sara Z
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    All day, every day, for all my adult life, I’ve been “should-ing” on myself. Whether I realized it or not, the tape was running in the background of my mind constantly. I should: Every day tasks became increasingly difficult as aches, pains, cramps, dizziness, and nausea took up residence. But I should… Even as my…

  • Magical Acceptance

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    Sara Z
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    or is it just that I’ve recovered from my trip to Puerto Vallarta? A few days ago, my struggle with acceptance hit a brick wall; I was there. I’ve suffered with fibromyalgia for a few decades now with severely deteriorating health over the past five years, increasingly debilitating and isolating to the point of being…

  • Acceptance is Mine

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    Sara Z
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    It sure doesn’t feel like I thought it would. Acceptance has been an elusive unicorn for years. In a previous post, “To Be or Not To Be…Disabled Acceptance,” exploring what it would mean to accept fibromyalgia. Imagine thinking I had a choice. Perhaps I thought of acceptance as a shiny bauble; I’d find that treasure…

  • Puerto Vallarta

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    Sara Z
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    What a beautiful view we have from our bedroom at Casa Mis Rocas, the airbnb rented by our friend Larry. The rest of the group had been staying at a resort, Paradise Village, just to the west of downtown Puerto Vallarta, so we were the last to arrive. The others were standing out on the…

  • January 6, 2025

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    Sara Z
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    Oh, look! Congress certified Trump’s Presidential Election today ahead of the inauguration on January 20th. The democratic process is following the constitutional rules of how a President is elected. What a beautiful thing, and I never thought certifying the results of an election would stir such patriotism in me. No one held a rally for…

  • Desperately Seeking Pain Relief

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    Sara Z
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    I’m not a doctor, but I’ve been playing one in real life, my own, since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009. At the time, I was doing the doctor shuffle each year as my husband’s insurance through work changed carriers. When I finally settled on one, it happened to be one who based her…

  • Bienvenido 2025!

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    Sara Z
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    Hopes are high that the new year will bring good blessings to my husband and me because we’re flying to Puerto Vallarta on the 13th! Bring on the sunshine. 🔆 In mid October, when a small group of old friends came over for my birthday, one of them mentioned he’d be celebrating his January birthday…

  • The Future Is Here – 2025

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    Sara Z
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    Well, someone’s vision for 2025 exceeded reality – unless you’ve been somewhere that looks like the above rendering. Not my city and surrounding population of about 500,000. We’re still bouncing along pothole-ridden streets like driving in a Mario Brothers video. One could almost conclude that the artist imagines the future will start in New Jersey,…

  • Gen Gen

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    Sara Z
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    Recently, my husband was shocked to learn that I’m a baby boomer. Well, my birth year is the last year of boomers, so I get it. We were talking with our two young adult sons about the names of the various ages when it came up. I’ve never heard of the “Builders” generation but I…

  • My Small Life

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    Sara Z
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    Choosing to live my life graciously seems to escape my grasp. Each time I feel it at my fingertips, when a few days at a time occur where I believe I’ve established stability at a livable level, I’m optimistic that I can “make this life work and like it.” Then, I wake up only one…

  • Parent is Also a Verb 12/16/24

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    Sara Z
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    Your child needs you to be the parent, not a friend. Of course, this meme is an exaggeration of a valid point. A parent does not need to be a diligent detective on 24/7, looking for lies or mistakes. In fact, that would be counterproductive to raising an independent adult who makes decisions based on…

  • After Careful Consideration…

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    Sara Z
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    46 years of research, exploration, and experience qualify me as my own best expert in fibromyalgia. Having to educate your primary physician in symptomotology (if they’re willing) is not unusual among fibro patients. Counseling is highly recommended and it’s been invaluable for me. One piece of advice I’ve heard and read about is the importance…

  • Til Death Do Us Part – or You Vote for Trump?

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    Sara Z
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    Since the election, I have been purposefully avoiding media coverage of the president-elect and his incoming administration. Headlines pass in my newsfeed regarding all aspects of the subject and I confess it’s like driving by a bad car wreck; I cover my eyes but peek between fingers. Mere glances at my news feed and past…

  • Parent is Also a Verb (11/27/24)

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    Sara Z
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    Growing kids up – What’s the goal? On TV just now, a mother said, “I just want my kids to be happy.” This strikes a nerve, similar to parents being friends with their children. Parents should definitely not be friends with their kids. More about that another time. What about the end game for parenting?…

  • Words of the Year: Demure Brat?

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    Sara Z
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    I thought I knew what a brat is. That word’s been used as long as I’ve understood English to describe unruly children or those whose life has frequently been uprooted moving from base to base. It was also the name of an odd little truck-like vehicle, which is being revived. Collins Dictionary has declared “brat” —…

  • Welcome to the Hotel California

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    Sara Z
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    On a snowy night in winter of 1976, my family gathered around in the living room of our brick-red house on Country Homes Boulevard to listen to the latest album by the Eagles. As the youngest, I sat on the lime-green shag carpet. The last album I’d been excited about was The Bay City Rollers…

  • There’s That River in Egypt Again

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    Sara Z
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    Do you take return trips to places you’ve visited in the past? I seem to be drawn to long cruises on the River Nile. It is beautiful. Problem is, I don’t even know I’ve been on the water alone until a friend or counselor lets me know it’s time to disembark. Good news is this…