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Hello All, Happy New Year! A new month – a new year – a new decade – all starting today! How awesome is that! I will start today’s blog with a quote and will end with another quote – from two singer songwriters who are as disparate as they can be! In a quote very fitting for New Year’s Eve, Brad Paisley said: “Tomorrow is the first page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” I hope to write a great book in 2020. I must admit, I don’t make a lot of resolutions. As Nia Vardalos (actress of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame) says “My New Year’s…

Hello All, Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! And for tomorrow – Happy Kwanzaa! It is truly a special time of the year. I know each of us has special traditions, that includes their favorite Christmas/holiday movie that must be watched every year. Mine is Elf! (And check that out! I underlined! Thank goodness for the King of the Blog!) I especially love the Elf Rules that are taught in school: * Treat every day like Christmas. * There’s room for everyone on the Nice List. * The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Think of what our world would be like if we followed…

Hello All, I am sending this edition of Phyl Phacts out a day early. I will explain why in a minute. All of you know me, so you know I love quotes. The title of this edition starts with the first four words of one of my favorite quotes (Bob will tell you I have about a million favorite quotes!): “The most irresistible beauty is the radiant glow from a kind and gentle heart.” – Richelle E. Goodrich (American novelist and poet) This quote always reminds me of this time of year, when you witness kindness and gentleness in so many ways. And it is especially poignant because Friday the…

This is a special time of year to celebrate! No matter what religious or spiritual path you travel, this time of year is filled with wonder, joy, magic and love.  It is a time of giving and receiving gifts – gifts that expand your vision, gifts that extend your touch, gifts that help you grow (personally and professionally), and gifts that embrace life and love. Though I know this is a love letter to healthcare, you can easily translate these scenarios into your own profession! No matter what role you fill or what industry you work within, you impact the lives of others each and every day using the gift…

Hello All, It seems like I blinked and it became December! My little mom always said that as you got older, time went by faster. She is 100% correct! There are many thoughts about why this occurs. It is related to the slowing of our metabolism (though I wish mine would speed up if a few pounds disappeared!). It is related to the amount of “perceptual information” we absorb. It is because we had no sense of time when we were young. (I could not have told you years and years ago how long a school “year” was…..but I knew when holidays and summers were coming!) Perhaps it is because…

Hello All, I love being a nurse. I always have. This is not the easiest profession. It can be physically and emotionally draining. It can test your patience in nothing short of a million ways. It is perpetually challenging you to stay on top of new treatments/medications/procedures/and the list could go on. In addition, you see people and families who are not at their “best” – and rightfully so, who comes prepared for all of these health issues? Having said all of that, it is the most rewarding profession ever. You are privileged to be part of people’s lives in unbelievable ways. You use all of your skills and each…

Hello All, It feels very funny to get up this morning and not head into a hospital to make rounds! I have been doing that for well over 25 years, so this has been a titch difficult. It has also been my tradition to send a quick holiday note, and especially at Thanksgiving – so I am very lucky that I still get an opportunity to do that! I have so much to be thankful for! Marcel Proust, a French novelist, said “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy. They are the gardeners who make our souls blossom.” I am so grateful for and to all…

Hello All, It must be the time of the year for awards shows! I love a good awards show, even if I have no idea who the people/shows/movies/songs/sports are. What I really love are the thank you speeches – funny, sentimental, inspirational, provocative. There have been two acceptance speeches this year that have made an impact on me – one because of the importance of being strong, the other because of the importance of kindness – both declared as acts of rebellion. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Alex Borstein took home the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy trophy for her work in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”. (For all…

Hello All, Week 3 and I have not destroyed the internet! Woohoo! I must admit that I do say a prayer every single time I hit publish. Again, many thanks to all who are reading Phyl Phacts. I appreciate all of your feedback; it is helping to make the blog stronger! The request this week was to add my picture to the “About Me” page. So the King of the Blog added the recent picture of me, and then sent me a tutorial on how to add more. So for grins and to practice my new skill, I have added a picture of me from the third grade or so…

Hello All, Well, I am still thrilled and terrified – and I need to add thankful! Thank you to all of you who have read my blog and provided great feedback! As you can imagine, I am still learning. So your feedback is priceless! I am also thankful for my incredible nephew-in-law who is the architect of the site! I have now officially named him the King of the Blog (KOB)! I could not do it without him. Based on your feedback, I have added an “About Me” page. Thought it might be helpful to introduce myself if someone were to stumble on this page. Also, several people asked for…