Natalie was reading a section of my novel in-progress when she asked about the “hand towel” one of the characters had placed in the bathroom for her guests. “Might it be an embroidered linen hand towel?” asked Natalie. “That is so much better!” I exclaimed appreciatively. Finding vivid words to describe feelings, not just objects, can actually be helpful when going through emotional times. In fact, finding accurate words to describe one’s state of mind can be critical to solving acute states of unease. For example, can the over-generalized word “anxiety” to describe almost all sensations of uneasiness be ultimately unhelpful and unhealthy for us? I am reading (for a…
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Choosing Our Worries
In our house we remind ourselves and each other to — “Choose Your Worries” We ask ourselves: is whatever it is we’re worrying about worth worrying about? And will our worry lead to a solution? We know that it’s natural and normal for all of us to worry from time to time, but worries can too easily take over and smother clear thinking. What good is that? It’s best and much more enjoyable to figure out how to deal with the feelings that lead to worry, so that we can get on with living. One of my favorite passages about worry is from Alice Steinbach’s travel memoir Without Reservations. She…
