Page 30 - 2016 Autumn-Winter Issue

(continued from page 29) when carried with you if you leave the kitchen. When

Sharing these stories made me realize the importance of cooking with oil in a skillet, never exit the room before
developing strategies for grieving parents and siblings to taking the skillet off the burner.
become mindful in our daily activities. A couple of things
Burns are another danger in the kitchen. Always remember
helped me when driving during that first year. I wrote a to use potholders when handling hot pots and pans. By the
same token, keep pot and pan handles turned away from
note to myself about where I was going and taped it to my the outer edges of the stove, where we can bump them.

instrument panel in the car. I also learned to keep the radio

turned off because a favorite song or remark on the radio

could trigger emotions and blinding tears. It helped me to To ensure safety, in and around the home it is necessary

have tissues handy because the tears always seemed to come to mindfully focus on one task at a time. In our fast-paced
when I was driving. It is advantageous to limit driving in the world, we must avoid the tendency to multitask.

early months. When necessary, it is preferable to seek a ride Mindfulness is the process of bringing one’s attention to
with a friend or use public transportation.
the experience occurring in the present moment. Doing

In and Around the Home one thing at a time and doing so mindfully will help
ensure we act in a safe and secure manner. A discussion of
One evening as I
was cleaning up after mindfulness is beyond the
dinner, I scraped
leftovers into the Sharing these stories made me realize the scope of this article, but
garbage disposal. I I recommend a Google
pushed the food into
the disposal with my importance of developing strategies for search for information on
right hand and reached grieving parents and siblings to become developing mindfulness.

with my left hand and mindful in our daily activities. Falls

When using a stepstool/

turned on the disposal. ladder to retrieve items

from high places or to
The grinding sound of the motor brought me to my senses. replace a light bulb, always think safety. Choose one with
Only then did I realize how dangerous it was to turn on the a hand support to help maintain your balance. Don’t use a
disposal while mindlessly putting in food.
chair to reach high places, especially one with wheels.

Another safety issue involves the use of sharp instruments Suzanne said she puts a long strip of tape on areas and
during food preparation. Take time to use the cutting board items where she had a prior injury. When she sees the tape,
and only pick up a knife by its handle. it alerts her to proceed cautiously. This advice is good for
seniors as well. Spills on tile floors also increase the risk of
A friend shared with me her unsafe cooking experience. slipping and falling.
“One day I was cooking, not sure what, but I forgot about it.
When I smelled something burning, I was still oblivious to Distraction can also make us vulnerable on our feet. We
what was happening. It was only when I got to the kitchen need to exercise care when walking from room to room if
and found the wall near the range singed from the heat that there are throw rugs on the floor. Additionally, we need to
I realized what had happened. The pan was burned dry, and beware of door facings and furniture placement. Broken
the food turned into a crisp”. toes are a common injury, as we age, even when we are not
grieving. We can wear closed-toe shoes to protect our toes
“Oh no!” and feet.

“In my absent mindedness, I nearly set the place on fire!” It is equally important to exercise care in crossing streets
and highways. Carefully look both ways and cross only
All of us agree; forgetfulness is serious business. when the light says go. Remember passing cars approach
quickly.
When cooking, it is important to avoid leaving the pot
unattended. If you have to go to another room, turn off the Carrying and lifting heavy objects increase our risk for back
burner. A kitchen timer can be a good cooking reminder injury. When lifting something heavy, move close to the

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