Author: April
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Natural Disasters List
Living in Michigan, especially Southeastern Michigan, we are fortunate that we do not have to face many natural disasters like the West Coast of the United States or the West Coast of Canada experiences, such as wildfires, mudslides, or earthquakes. However, in recent years, we have been affected by natural disasters on the East Coast…
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How Does Family Conflict Affect Mental Health
A few years ago, my ex-husband and I went through a brutal divorce, which created a mental health crisis for my sons and I. My one son attempted to end his life, and the other son’s anxiety was at an all-time high. In fact, it was almost crippling for him. I struggled immensely with depression…
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Famous Celebrities from Oregon
As a child of hippie parents, I know all too well the stories of how the extremely creative, musical, and peace-loving young people of the 1960s went West in search of a better life. The Gold Rush of the mid-1800s was very different in that the people heading West then were doing so to claim…
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Great Lakes Beach Camping
My cousin and I were born only four days apart from each other and grew up in a camping/traveling family. Our first excursion, according to family lore, took place when we were only a few months old. As we grew older, beginning in our late teens, we started camping together with our friends. Most notably,…
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Alzheimer’s Patients Remember Music
I am certainly not a scientist, nor am I a psychologist, but I have lived long enough to see things “play out,” so to speak. What I do know is that when I listen to certain music, memories flood in like a tidal wave. I used to joke and say that I knew all the…
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How Do You Fix Spinal Stenosis Without Surgery
Beginning as a young girl and continuing well into my forties, I was very active physically, leading an athletic lifestyle. When I entered menopause and became middle-aged, my body began to break down in ways I was not happy about. As a result of playing through the pain in my younger years, unfortunately, I now…
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Social Benefits of Laughter
When the world seems dark and hopeless, laughter has the magical ability to lift our spirits and lighten the heavy burden a lot of us are carrying. For example, comedians, caricature art, television comedies, comedy films, and even silly music have directly benefited society in times of distress. In fact, caricature artists have been around…
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Sports As Community Building
In my many years of experience as a spectator, a coach, and a player, I have found many ways sports can act as a strong agent to build communities. Here are some of the avenues I have had direct participation in with sports community building, including the following, but not limited to: By participating in…
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Real Life Examples of Courage
(Photo Credit: If_I_Were_King_of_the_Forest Wizard of Oz Warner Brothers) In my humble opinion, we must summon the courage to face life on life’s terms – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It does not matter where you came from, what religion or non-religion you were raised with or practice, the color of your skin, your…
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Risk Factors of Dementia
Thankfully, there are many specialists in memory care and far more information regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s today than there was in the early 1980s. My great-grandmother (Grammy) suffered from a head injury when she was in her twenties and later, starting in her late sixties, suffered from Alzheimer’s and died by the time she was…