Tag: love

Don’t wait till yer dyin to love deeper.

How does that Tim McGraw song go? The guy found out he was dying and decided to love deeper and speak sweeter? Now that there was hardly any time left? That song makes me cry every time I hear it, not just because the guy is dying, but because of all the time he obviously wasted when he could have been savoring life, everything and everyone around him.

Let me tell you first hand that I am being worked up for lymphoma right now. One possible type is very treatable and the other is far more aggressive and tricky. Either way, I am in for a fight and, like with any possible cancer diagnosis, there is a possibility that I won’t make it. It’s just the reality of the situation. However, I know one thing for sure: I have tried to live my life to the fullest and love the deepest since the day I was born. I have always tried to put myself out there. I have tried new things. I have been kind. I have always let my family know that they are my true love and my whole heart. Do I have some regrets? Sure. Everybody does. Are there some things that I would have done differently? Of course. I have had a shit ton of tragedy and obstacles too and I have learned from all of it. But, no matter what, I know that I have had a life well-lived so far and that I am going to continue to head in that direction. I am so grateful for that. I can’t imagine feeling like I have to cram an entire life’s worth of experiences and savoring into a couple of months because I wasted it all before that point. It’s an impossible task. My advice is take it all in now! Savor everything now! Send love out to the universe now! Don’t kid yourself and hold back thinking that you’ll always have plenty of time. Tomorrow is never guaranteed for any of us.

Dr. Katz

Is It Time To Be Thankful Yet?

So, Thanksgiving just passed. Did we all remember to be thankful, or did we get mired down in complaining about not seeing the usual volume of family members and bemoan the current status of the COVID pandemic? I think that a lot of people fell into the second category, if they are being honest. I admit that, even though I have realized all of my current blessings, I still fall prey to the diffuse and sometimes oppressive fatigue of depression that has followed me around for the last 9 months, despite all my best efforts. This begs the question then, when is it time to be thankful? The answer is: RIGHT NOW! For a lot of us, things aren’t really going our way and haven’t for a long time. The economy is tough. Family relations are strained. Family members have been lost. People are fed up and spend a little too much time like little powder kegs ready to blow at the slightest opportunity for conflict. On top of that, the capacity for empathy is not so great right now. I have to admit that, even my standards for thankfulness have had to be lowered a bit just to keep things in perspective and convince myself that I am not “reaching too high.” …lol. Still, I am above ground, I have a family to miss, I have my health ( most days), and I still get to do what I love and take care of people. Essentially, it is all I really need so you betcha I am thankful. Don’t let me kid you. I have ” days” like everyone else. I am still human. We are all feeling the struggle right now. It’s a normal human response to the sense of loss of control and freedom. But, just when you feel that whine coming on I urge you to think twice before you do it. There is always the possibility that someone is worse off than you.

Dr. Katz

And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love, you make.

This famous line from The End on the Abbey Road album proves that John, Paul, George, and Ringo knew what they were talking about. It was one of their last messages of love to the world toward the end of a phenomenal career. These words speak a simple truth that I feel like we are all forgetting lately: Whatever you put out into the universe is what is going to come back to you eventually. If you put love out there, you will get love back. If you put hate out there, you will get hate back. The formula is simple and logical, in a way. Notice that this quote does not mention anything about timelines. It doesn’t mean that the very second you offer something good to the world you will get immediate returns. It implies nothing about instant gratification. It doesn’t eliminate the possibility of having to invest a significant amount of your emotions and time into something before you see any results. It doesn’t say anything about what the world owes you at any point in time, regardless of your efforts. It simply bottom lines the idea that you will eventually get back what you give.

Dr. Katz