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Good Days...Bad Days With Maureen Pratt

Sometimes, the brightest of Christmas celebrations is followed by a feeling of letdown, a hollow sensation that something is missing after all the festivities, gifts, and socializing. And if you live with a chronic, serious illness, you might feel this and dread – even with all of the readings and songs about God’s love and…

He is born! We rejoice! May you and your loved ones be blessed abundantly with comfort, joy, and love at this wonderful Christmas time, Peace, Maureen

If you’re dealing with a chronic illness and feeling frazzled in these last few days leading up to Christmas, I have some reassurance for you: By now, the best thing to do might be not to do anything – well, almost! From gifts to cooking and baking to decorating, you’ve probably done a lot. Others…

I have to laugh at the competitions that take place around this time of year – the homeowners’ associations’ lawn decorating contests, the holiday cookie bake-offs. I even attended a mass at a church that had a competition for the “best” Christmas card design by a grade schooler. When did Christmas become so cut-throat? When…

Oh, my! This is a wonderful time, but there are so many things we forget about between the last Christmas and this one. How to untangle the Christmas lights, for example (many of us find ourselves praying a lot for Mary the Untier of Knots to intervene!), or cook the beloved family tradition of turkey…

During the year, we try to surround ourselves with people who care for and about us. Family, friends, a strong medical team – these people and even some strangers help us through our days of pain and illness challenges. But at holiday time, as larger groups gather, our insulated world opens up a bit –…

We’re in the heart of holiday season, now, and there’s one “gift” that I’m sure you don’t want to receive – an infectious illness. Whether a cold, flu, or other “catchy” bug, an illness on top of the chronic variety we already live with can be a serious complication at worst, a holiday-hamperer at best.…

Advent 2016 is underway, a time of internal preparation in order to be more fittingly joy-filled when Christmas dawns. I truly enjoy this time, and try to spend lots more of my waking hours in quiet, prayer, and gentle appreciation for all of God’s marvelous gifts in my life and in the world around. And…

With everyone so filled with “cheer” at this time of year, we might feel left out or just completely wrong to cry once in a while. One of my previous blogs was about consuming a holiday diet of goodness, so I do understand the spirit of the season and the need to be positive so…

I confess that I really like to watch good holiday movies. They might be “sappy” and they might be oldies during which I could recite upcoming scenes, lines, and action points. But, no matter. They “feel good,” especially when I’m “feeling bad.” And they serve an even more important purpose: They put me on a…
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