Relationships and Your Health

In an evening class at Stanford the last lecture was on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality "girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes. But their feelings? Rarely.

Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers/friends, and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged-not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo. let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

 Life isn't about surviving the storm; but how you dance in the rain.

Life's Lessons:

Written by a 90 year old

This is something we should all read at
least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read
to the end!!!!!! 
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of
the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote
the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most
requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so
here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are
sick. Your friends and family will.

5.Don't buy stuff you don't need.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for things that matter.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no
idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't
be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye
But don't worry; God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful.  Clutter
weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy.  But it’s all up to
you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,
don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the
fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion.
Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words
'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because
of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw
everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already
have not what you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

SPEEDING VATICAN

After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb. ' Excuse me, Your Holiness, ' says the driver, ' Would you please take your seat so we can leave? ' ' Well, to tell you the truth, ' says the Pope, ' they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today. ' ' I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! What if something should happen? ' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.. ' Who's going to tell? ' says the Pope with a smile. Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph.. (Remember, the Pope is German..) ' Please slow down, Your Holiness! ' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens. ' Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job! ' moans the driver. The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio. ' I need to talk to the Chief, ' he says to the dispatcher. The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 155 kph. ' So bust him, ' says the Chief. ' I don't think we want to do that, he's really important, ' said the cop. The Chief exclaimed, ' All the more reason! ' ' No, I mean really important, ' said the cop with a bit of persistence. The Chief then asked, ' Who do you have there, the mayor? ' Cop: ' Bigger. ' Chief: ' A senator? ' Cop: ' Bigger. '   Chief: ' The Prime Minister? ' Cop: ' Bigger. ' ' Well, ' said the Chief, ' who is it? ' Cop: ' I think it's God! ' The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, ' What makes you think it's God? ' Cop: ' His chauffeur is the Pope! '

Born a Lutheran

Each Friday night after work, Ole would fire up his outdoor grill on the shore of Big Stone Lake and cook a venison steak. But all of Ole's neighbors were Catholic. Since it was Lent, they were forbidden from eating meat on Friday. 

The delicious aroma from the grilled venison steaks wafted over Ortonville all the way to Clinton, and was causing such a problem for the Catholic faithful that they finally talked to their priest. 

The Priest came to visit Ole, and suggested that he become a Catholic. Ole agreed, and after several classes and much study, Ole attended Mass. As the priest sprinkled holy water over him, he said, "You were born a Lutheran,
and raised a Lutheran, but now you are a Catholic." 

Ole's neighbors were relieved, until the following Friday night arrived, and the wonderful aroma of grilled venison filled the neighborhood again. 

The Priest was called immediately by the neighbors and, as he rushed into Ole's yard, clutching a rosary and prepared to scold him, he stopped and watched in amazement. 

There stood Ole, clutching a small bottle of holy water which he carefully sprinkled over the grilling meat and chanted: "You vuz born a deer, you vuz raised a deer, but now you iz a walleye." 
  

Catholic Golf

A Catholic priest and a nun were taking a rare
Afternoon off and enjoying a round of golf.

The priest stepped up to the first tee and took a mighty swing.
He missed the ball entirely and said "Sh*t, I missed."

The good Sister told him to watch his language.

On his next swing, he missed again.

"Sh*t, I missed."

"Father, I'm not going to play with you if you keep swearing,"
The nun said tartly..

The priest promised to do better and the round continued.

On the 4th tee, he misses again. The usual comment followed.

Sister is really mad now and says, "Father John, God is going to strike you
Dead if you keep swearing like that.."

On the next tee, Father John swings and misses again.
"Sh*t, I missed."

A terrible rumble is heard and a gigantic bolt of
Lightning comes out of the sky and strikes
Sister Marie dead in her tracks.

And from the sky above comes a booming voice .


"Sh*t, I missed