Thanksgiving Day is over, yet I keep returning to the sweet moments. Am I getting older, or was this the nicest Thanksgiving ever?... Did I say that last year, too?
Our oldest guest was 83, the youngest guest just turned nine years old this year. I am thankful for each kind face circled around our family table, just as I am quietly comforted by the memories of each family member who is no longer here with us.
Their absence no longer painful, I can now recall without tears the times spent with them. There's a verse from Deuteronomy that so beautifully illustrates the legacy left by previous generations."You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig, and you will eat from vineyards and olive trees you did not plant."
Think about your own life, and recall all the people whose work made it possible for you to enjoy today. It's a vast circle, isn't it?
It's humbling to consider all the countless secret and public sacrifices made by those who came before us. In today's current holiday shopping frenzy, the term "sacrifice" isn't mentioned very often, but it's worth thinking about. Long after this year's gifts are unwrapped and cast aside, it's the lasting personal legacy of love that will remain. And isn't that the best gift of all?
Be well.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Brain Gain
To offset the disturbing news as reported in an Associated Press poll this week that Americans are reading less for pleasure than ever before, and in some cases, reading fewer than four books a year, here is some good news on the scientific front...
Senior adults, prepare to boost your brainpower with Brain Fitness! It can be done, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Southern California, who presented their research at a recent meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.
Over 500 senior adults participated in a series of, dare we say it,"brain calisthenics" designed by the Posit Science company, to enhance the brain's SAAGE recall, or, Speed, Accuracy, Adaptivity, Generalizability, and Engagement. The results are impressive and warrant closer review: Seniors who completed the 40-hour Posit Brain Fitness training scored higher on memory tests than people ten years younger. An added bonus: the majority of participants also reported an improved quality of life.
While many memory-enhancing products are already on the market, such as brain-boosting computer games, available at happyneuron.com, mybraintrainer.com and Nintendo's Brain Age, the software developed by Posit focuses on improving daily recall by stimulating auditory responses that often decline with age. Targeted research is already in progress for specific groups, such as Alzheimer's and dementia patients. You can learn more about the company's work, by visiting their website, www.positscience.com.
While Posit has a steep $400 pricetag, AARP, Humana and MetLife all offer free brain health literature to its members, and in some cases, discounted admission to brain fitness camps.
By linking the healthy habits of daily exercise and a diet rich in antioxidants and Omega-3, these other new ideas coming to the marketplace hold promise and excitement for improving and extending brain health. Stay tuned.
Senior adults, prepare to boost your brainpower with Brain Fitness! It can be done, say researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Southern California, who presented their research at a recent meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.
Over 500 senior adults participated in a series of, dare we say it,"brain calisthenics" designed by the Posit Science company, to enhance the brain's SAAGE recall, or, Speed, Accuracy, Adaptivity, Generalizability, and Engagement. The results are impressive and warrant closer review: Seniors who completed the 40-hour Posit Brain Fitness training scored higher on memory tests than people ten years younger. An added bonus: the majority of participants also reported an improved quality of life.
While many memory-enhancing products are already on the market, such as brain-boosting computer games, available at happyneuron.com, mybraintrainer.com and Nintendo's Brain Age, the software developed by Posit focuses on improving daily recall by stimulating auditory responses that often decline with age. Targeted research is already in progress for specific groups, such as Alzheimer's and dementia patients. You can learn more about the company's work, by visiting their website, www.positscience.com.
While Posit has a steep $400 pricetag, AARP, Humana and MetLife all offer free brain health literature to its members, and in some cases, discounted admission to brain fitness camps.
By linking the healthy habits of daily exercise and a diet rich in antioxidants and Omega-3, these other new ideas coming to the marketplace hold promise and excitement for improving and extending brain health. Stay tuned.
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