Dear Friends,

Attitude is everything!! Sometimes life isn’t fun. Sometimes you have to make it fun. Some lives are quiet, lonely, or serious while others are interesting, even exciting, because you create your life to fit our desires. Whether or not you are enjoying it depends on your attitude. It is interesting to watch how people react to similar situations. You might be visiting with friends, and one may confide she had a fight with her husband, and another may have a mother who is dying of cancer, and the third may have gotten a rotten haircut. If we could see the vibrations of their energy, they may all be the same. I often wonder when it comes to unhappiness if there is a big and small, or is it al the same? I often wonder when it comes to unhappiness if there is a big and small, or is it all the same? If it takes away your joy in life and weakens your immune system, what more can it do? Does it matter if it is a major or minor crisis?

We once had a guest who was the victim of a violent rape attempt who came to the Kerr House to heal. She was a pianist, and among her injuries was an injured hand. I noticed a little smile much of the time, and I commented on it. She replied, “I am just grateful I was able to fight him off and am still alive.” I was impressed with her attitude, because she celebrated life rather than reliving the trauma.

On the other hand, my neighbor was called to school because her child had an injury on the playground. When she arrived, it was not her child, but another with a similar name. She relived her trauma for weeks. When I would remind her that her son wasn’t hurt, she’d say, “But it could have been him.” Her body and mind were constantly reacting as though it had actually happened.

It is important for us to look for things to feel good about, releasing thoughts that nag at us, make us angry or cause us to feel we are getting a raw deal. It is similar to focusing on a splinter in your thumb when there are thousands of body parts working perfectly. Appreciate what works well, and start searching for the tweezers.

One of my sons had a brain tumor. During his last year he had deteriorated so that he could not communicate. His mind was sharp, but he could not see, talk or use his hands. He had no way of expressing his thoughts or feelings except to nod or shake his head. We had exhausted all that modern medicine and the alternative world had available, and now we were doing home care. Watching him deteriorate was more than I could bear. The choices of coping were to fall apart or handle it. Falling apart is a lot of work, it distracts you, and is hard recovery, and so I chose to handle it. You might be at that point; you must work with your attitude constantly.

When grief or fear took over m mind and body, I had to find a way to pull myself together. I understood grief was normal, and dealt with that, as one must process the grief. However, the fear could take over my whole being and I had to face the fear, as it was causing me to live with the future before I had to. It wasn’t helping or serving a purpose. I had to awaken from that nightmare each time and remind myself that I can’t see the whole picture. I don’t know the purpose behind this tragedy, but my faith tells me there is more to it than I can see. I had to find something I could live with. Perhaps Dean was growing more spiritually during this transition than he had in his entire life. Whether right or not is insignificant, because none of us knows for sure, we are all guessing. So finding something comforting to me was extremely important. It boosted my immune system. It helped retain my sanity. It helped me continue to treat Dean as a loving, living person who was accomplishing a goal, and not fall apart whenever I saw or thought of him.

Also, I reminded myself how blessed I was in many ways. I reviewed the fun and love Dean and I had shared, and how lucky I was to have had so much time with him. I felt gratitude for my other children and grandchildren whom I loved dearly, and all I had to be grateful for: Dean’s two precious sons, my extended family, friends, a great staff, and a business I enjoyed. I had to keep that balance of my blessings foremost in my mind or everything seemed hopeless and there is no benefit to hopelessness. There are always people and things to appreciate.

We cannot always control the situations in our lives, but know you always have choices in how you think and how you act. There are many people who had tragic childhoods who have made wonderful lives for themselves. The contrast has helped them decide they want better. Others review the past their entire lives, reliving it in their minds and conversations every opportunity. Why? It wasn’t good the first time, why relive it? There are people living in luxury, good health, and beauty who are miserable, while others are making the world a better place. There are people who struggle to survive each day, appreciating each flower and giving thanks they had this day to live, while others are angry and resentful. Money can make you comfortable, but it can’t buy happiness. It is all in your attitude. No one else can give you a good life; it is entirely up to you. You can appreciate and be thankful, or criticize and complain, and it is much more fun to enjoy each moment, each day.

Enjoy it all!

Fondly, Laurie




Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” which means join, or union. The purpose of all yogas is to unite the finite with the infinite and is sometimes said to be the marriage of spirit and matter. Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago. German Professor Max Mueller claim Yoga is 6,000 years old, but many sources claim it is much older (and I always think “who cares!” I’m impressed with 6,000 years.) The reason it has survived is because it is so very effective. Pantanjali is called the Father of Yoga because he was the first person to put into writing (200 B.C.) what had been passed from guru to pupil for centuries. (The word Guru means ‘one who dispels darkness’)

There are a number of paths of Yoga and the goal of each is the union of mind, body and spirit. The Yoga philosophy states that every human being has four aspects in his personality: reason, will, emotion and action. The Yoga that trains reason is known as Jnana Yoga, the path of wisdom, knowledge and study. Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion and love causes emotional integration. Raja Yoga is the path of consciousness, and enables one to control his mind through meditation. The Yoga path that prepares you to cope with the ups and downs of life and develops your potential through work and action is Karma Yoga.

There are many branches and sub branches of these four great Yogas. For instance, Mantra Yoga is the path of certain invocations and sounds; Kundalini Yoga is the path of breath and energy. Although these paths of yoga are popular now, I was taught that all paths should be prepared for with a firm knowledge of Hatha Yoga, the path of physical exercise that gives the body health and strength to endure the hardships of the other stages of training. ‘Ha’ stands for the sun and ‘tha’ for the moon, as it deals with the solar and lunar qualities of breath and prana, the subtle life energy that exists in all living things.

The Yoga postures normalize the functions of the mind and body, affecting all body processes: the breath, circulation, digestion, elimination, metabolism, the glands, organs, nervous system and mind. Deep breathing is combined with placing the body in various postures, which influences the yogi physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually. All of the capacities are heightened as balance, stamina, endurance, flexibility, strength, coordination, and peace of mind are achieved. The art of relaxation, the science of breathing, and the mental control of the body harmonize the mind, body and spirit. There is no competition in Yoga; you are only striving to improve your own physical condition. The beginning exercises are easy to do, yet very beneficial. There is no straining as you always listen to and respect your body. Yoga is a mind body form of exercise. Your focus is on what you are feeling in your mind and body as you stretch, breathe, and place your body in the various postures to achieve maximum effect with minimum efforts. The results are far ranging regardless of size, age and physical condition. You are never too old to feel better.