Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, April 22, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 22, 2023 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side

by Deanne Davis


“Self-care is giving the world the best 
of you, instead of what’s left of you.” 
Katie Reed

“Talk to yourself like you would to 
someone you love.” Brene Brown

“Self-care means giving yourself permission 
to pause.” Cecilia Tran

I suddenly noticed that several people 
I know are just not well. My next-door 
neighbor has had bronchitis. Another 
friend is in the hospital with a knee replacement.
One other is about to have 
eye surgery. Holy moly! So I thought 
about talking about taking care of ourselves. 
I’m totally addicted to my step counter and try every day to hit that magical 10,000 
steps and occasionally I actually get there. The morning walk, the evening treadmill (I try 
to do a mile every night) while watching something on TV. 

I came across a nice essay about self-care by a Dr. Yazhini Srivathsal. He starts right off by 
talking about Valentine’s Day and how we select this particular day to appreciate and recognize 
the people in our lives we love. He goes on to say it’s equally, if not more important, 
to focus on self-love as love of ourselves is what allows us to empathize and connect with 
others on a deeper level. In short, an empty tank will take you exactly nowhere. We need to 
take time to refuel.

This is hard to do. We feel guilty if we’re not perpetually occupied doing something 
productive,

useful, or for somebody else. The very idea of sitting down somewhere pleasant, reading and

having a cup of tea makes us feel guilty. It’s that old Puritan work ethic.

Here are a few of the points that Dr. Srivathsal listed:

• Know you are worthy – no matter what. Our worthiness does not depend on anything 
we do or don’t do. It doesn’t have anything to do with how we look. We deserve to 
treat ourselves with respect, compassion and genuinely love ourselves for who we are in this 
moment, flaws and all. Kind of like the way God views us: With love, flaws and all.

• Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend – If our best friend is upset or 
feeling just plain crummy, we don’t go out of our way to make them feel worse, do we? I 
hope not. We need to treat ourselves with love and compassion…especially in one of those 
moments when things didn’t go as planned.

• Don’t compare yourself to anyone else – That’s hard. We want to have this person’s 
body, that person’s hair, this person’s ability to play the piano, that person’s singing voice, 
and on and on. We are who we are and that’s a lot to be grateful for.

• Try to live intentionally every day – Little steps that will help us get where we want 
to be. You saw this coming, right? Eat good food that will help your body. More veggies, less 
cheesecake. More fresh fruit, and put down those Girl Scout cookies that are everywhere 
currently. Do things that make you happy like walking and looking at everybody’s flowers. 
Notice all the tiny green leaves that have appeared, signaling the arrival of Spring!

Be your own cheerleader – There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishing something 
new,

maybe something you never thought you could do. My friend, Marilyn Williams, started 
taking

piano lessons when she was well into her 50’s and it has given her more pleasure and 
enjoyment

as she practices and improves than she ever imagined. She’s always wanted to play the piano,

and now she does. I’ve started doing jigsaw puzzles. These are somewhat addictive as you sit

down for a minute and discover two hours have evaporated while you fit a piece here and a 
piece

there.

Make sure you have at least a few minutes of “me time” every day – Another tough one for 
us

guilt embracers. This can be part of that walk you’re going to start taking. Thanking the 
Creator for the beauty of His creation is a nice way to spend some of that “me time.”

Surround yourself with people who support you and lift you up – Learn about the grace of

saying, “No.” There are people in all our lives who are negative, needy, whiny, and who we 
wish

we could avoid. So let’s avoid them. We can’t fix everybody and some people just need to be 
in

someone else’s life. So let’s let them be with someone else. Also, just because someone tells 
us

we’d be perfect for this committee or job doesn’t mean we have to say yes.

Love yourself as you are right now – Not when you’ve lost ten pounds, learned to speak 
French,

gotten a promotion or bought a Lexus. Loving ourselves as we are this minute, even if the 
dishes

are still in the sink, the laundry isn’t done, the lawn isn’t mowed and there’s nothing for 
dinner,

means we are still splendid people, worthy of love.

Dr. Srivathsal winds up by saying that self-love and self-care are important parts of being a

happy and healthy individual. Do something loving for yourself this week. It will be good 
for your health. Honest. Trust me.

My daughter, Leah, did something wonderful for herself a few days ago; she hiked partway 
up the Mt. Wilson Trail. The picture here is a spot on the Trail, which looks incredible. 
She said the part of the Trail she saw was in fabulous shape. It has been widened in a lot of 
places, which will help the Trail racers. She sent me pictures of all the beautiful foliage and 
wildflowers that have grown along the Trail, making it even more of a pleasure to hike. 

I was so sorry to see that the Four Seasons Tea Room will be closing April 30th. I’ve been 
to so many nice parties there and had lovely moments over tea and delicious treats. Hard to 
believe they’ve been part of Sierra Madre for almost twenty years. And, another loss to our 
community, dear friend, Chris Hovland, is retiring and closing Sierra Madre Independent 
Honda Service. Chris worked on all my Hondas and was unfailingly kind and helpful and 
kept me on the road for years. Thanks, Chris for all you’ve done and best to you in all you 
do in the years to come. 

The Art Fair is coming May 2 and 3! The Mt. Wilson Trail Race is May 27th! Good times, 
friends and neighbors!

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Where you’ll find a delightful story: “Noah and The Unicorns.”

The Friends Of The Sierra Madre Library Invite You To58th Annual 
Sierra Madre 
Art FairSaturday, May 6 – 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 – 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Featured Artist Suzanne Kustner 
85 Artists • Children’s Activities • Live EntertainmentFood Vendors • Free AdmissionSierra Madre Memorial Park222 West Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CaliforniaFor event information: 626•355•7186 or www.sierramadreartfair.org 
Instagram @sierramadreartfair • Benefits Sierra Madre Public Library
Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com