I hope that you are all well. (Or, as well as one can be under these circumstances.) I don't want to minimize the difficult time some of you may be having, but I am tired of being sheltered-in. I find myself bored, even though I have a million things that I could be doing, like working on manuscripts. I'm still teaching psychology courses online, so I'm busy, but when I have a break in my schedule, I don't want to work. I don't want to organize another closet, or pull weeds in the yard. It just isn't how I'd like to fill my free time. I miss other people. (Not that my husband doesn't count as other people, but I'm sure you know what I mean.) Typically I'd meet a friend for coffee, go out for dinner, or we'd have friends over to hang out. Sheltering has changed that for the time-being. ConferZoom helps, but it's not the same.

Affecting Your Outlook? There have been several articles on mental health awareness and the impact of having your routine changed overnight. As a clinician and author I recommend writing as a release. Putting pen to paper can actually improve our outlook on life. Check out this article, it’s worth learning how you can support your mental well-being. Copy and past this link into your browser for the full article. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/writin...

This month I had a wonderful opportunity to sit on a panel of six writers in honor of Mother's Day. Click on the image and select Media Appearances to listen to our discussion on the experiences of motherhood and self-care for all women. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxOh...

Reading also helps me escape our current reality, if you're looking for an engaging story, consider Josie: A Story of Faith and Survival. Josie is my mother's story, and as I'm sure you can imagine, it is close to my heart. It's a story that rarely shows up in history books. When the Nazi’ soldiers left their small village, four-year-old Josie and her twelve-year-old brother, Andreas, thought the bad guys had gone. Unfortunately, they were about to be scapegoats for Yugoslavia’s new dictator. You won't want to miss their survival story.

I'd love to hear how you're coping. susanloweauthor@gmail.com

Blessings, Susan