October 2020 - The Brick Magazine

3 STEPS TO CREATING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE DURING COVID-19

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:04-04:00

Photo by Helena Lopes By Sharon Marie Lawlor Connection amongst others has a tremendous affect on our happiness — wouldn’t you agree? In this time of COVID-19, our ability to connect like we were once able to has definitely been hindered. I know for me that connecting deeply with others happened daily pre-COVID. I was constantly experiencing interpersonal connection through my work, home, lifestyle, and values. Now, it’s more of a rarity when adhering to social distancing and limiting exposure. Gone are the hugs and little touches; it’s even difficult to see other smiles now that masks cover our faces for [...]

3 STEPS TO CREATING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE DURING COVID-19Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:04-04:00

THE EMOTIONAL BANK ACCOUNT: INVESTING IN FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:08:58-04:00

Photo on Unsplash By Shell Phelps As we enter this world, our emotional bank accounts have very little available balance. The truth is, we are all dealt an unchangeable hand to start our lives. We don’t get to choose who teaches us or how we are taught love. From the start, our caregivers teach us our first experience of love, giving us our first return on investment. This provides us with the fundamentals of giving and receiving unconditional love, which we all deserve. While some of us got lucky, others struggled with the quality of our caregivers. When you were first [...]

THE EMOTIONAL BANK ACCOUNT: INVESTING IN FRIENDS AND FAMILYJulie Palmer2020-10-01T11:08:58-04:00

LOVE UNCANCELED

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:11-04:00

By Jen DeGregorio As COVID-19 began to creep into our lives shortly after the new year, I and so many others felt a sense of loss and uncertainty. The number of victims who suffered from the virus itself was overwhelming and scary. Then I began to hear stories of those affected in other ways, like small business owners who couldn’t financially survive the shutdown. The hospitality industry, for instance, was completely shattered, and friends who just weeks before had enjoyed workplace success and job security began to get laid off. With little to be excited for, the future seemed a bit [...]

LOVE UNCANCELEDJulie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:11-04:00

A SMUSHED CAKE

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:17-04:00

Photo by Roseanna Smith on Unsplash By Bernadette Quist They say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. What if you have cake, and it looks good one minute, but then it becomes a smushed wreck the next? If you eat it, how will it taste? Can we relight the candles on that cake? I’ll bet that, like me, you know people who look amazing in person (and on Facebook). These folks have well-decorated, even gourmet cakes. Pre-pandemic, we never saw any cracks, flaws, or crumbs! Yet, you may learn that the imperfect stuff was kept politely secret, [...]

A SMUSHED CAKEJulie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:17-04:00

CHEERING OUR SISTERS ON

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:23-04:00

Photo by Roxxie Blackham on Unsplash By Maria Sylvester, MSW, CPC “She can’t, or she won’t. Regardless, she doesn’t.” These were the pained words my client uttered while sobbing, struggling to comprehend why her supposedly close friend of many years refused to acknowledge any of her recent accomplishments. My client was completely mystified and heartbroken. In that instant, I felt my chest ache and my breath catch. I knew and have felt similar trauma in friendship. It’s excruciating. Women’s friendships and connections have the power to be incredibly comforting, supportive, and magical. When able to truly stand behind and celebrate each other, women [...]

CHEERING OUR SISTERS ONJulie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:23-04:00

NEW FRIENDS, OLD FRIENDS

Julie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:29-04:00

Photo by Antonio Visalli on Unsplash By Marilyn Pellini I can still picture my childhood friends as if I had left them just yesterday. The little boy who lived downstairs in our tenement house, Johnny, had red hair and a face full of freckles. Although he was two years younger than I, he was very fond of me and often invited me down to his flat to watch Howdy Doody (whom he resembled quite a bit). His family had the first television set in the neighborhood, so it was a great thrill and privilege to be Johnny’s friend. Anne lived just [...]

NEW FRIENDS, OLD FRIENDSJulie Palmer2020-10-01T11:09:29-04:00