The Hometown Treasure September 2012 | Page 17

Healthy H Hearts ?Healthy Homes by Brenda Yoder, MA, Counselor and Education & Prevention Advocate for Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center ow is your heart working today? Is your ticker ticking fine? Are you tired, exhausted, or at risk for a heart attack? Today, let’s have a heart check-up. A spiritual and emotional heart check-up, that is. Isn’t it amazing how easily we can talk about our physical condition, but are less comfortable talking about our spiritual and emotional condition? Would you answer the above questions as easily if they were about your real heart? How is your internal heart working? Is it doing well - you’ve been engaging in healthy emotional and spiritual behaviors, your relationships are going well, and you’re free from anxiety? Or are you emotionally tired or mentally exhausted? Are you living life on the edge behaviorally, spiritually, or mentally, not taking care of areas that may cause a mental, emotional, or spiritual “heart attack”? Being aware of and taking care of your behavioral, emotional, and spiritual heart health is important. Healthy hearts, healthy homes nails it right on the head. When our internal heart is corroded with emotional junk, it affects how we feel, how we respond to others, and how we make decisions. The climate of our homes is affected by our behavior and choices. Healthy choices and relationships bring peace. Unhealthy choices and responses bring pain and turmoil. The effects of these are not exclusive to the individual, but affect the entire household – especially children. It’s important to take unhealthy internal heart conditions seriously. It’s important to acknowledge when we are not doing so well. “My heart hurts” can describe many life experiences, such as grief, loss, broken relationships, or disappointment. “My heart aches” can describe experiences that result in deep, wounding pa ???)Q???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)??????????????L???????????e??????)?????????????????????????????()???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????????????)??????????????????)?????????e???????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)????????????????%???????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)%??????????)]???????????????q?????t?????)????????????????????M????????)I?????????????????? ????????)]????????????????M??????)????????????????????????????)?????%???????????????????A???)???????? ??????????)Q?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????e?)????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)!???????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)????????????????????e????????)??????????????????????????)Q????????????????????????????)?? ??????????((?????9????Y????????????M??????????%8?????????????????????????)????]????? Q??? EA????=??????????????????????????????????()A??????M????????????????M??????(???????????)???????)????????()Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????)M???????????????]????????????????????????????? ?????? ????)I????????1??????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????]???????????????????????????????????(??????????L????????11 ?????????????????????????????????????????????) ?????????????????????=????????????????????????)Q???!??????Q?????? ?M????????`?? ??????((0