Moving Ahead with Hope

As we enter the first full week of 2019 I am so grateful for the opportunities I have had during this past year to accompany so many wonderful individuals on their journeys of vocational/career self-discovery and well-being. Thank you to the people I have the honor of working with, to their families for their faith and trust in me, to my colleagues at Gould Farm Boston Area Programs and in the broader community. In the coming year I look forward to expanding my private work and to sharing more with you. I wholeheartedly invite you to say "yes" more often in 2019! Yes "and" instead of yes "but", yes you are enough, yes to your creativity, yes to trying something new, yes (even) when you fall short, yes to a healthy and fulfilling year! I invite you to connect with me and to invite others in your network to connect with me. With gratitude and appreciation and always Moving Ahead with Hope~ Robin

Sometimes all we can do is to move ahead with our lives and bring the best of our relationships and memories with us. My dad, George Zucker, died on March 12th, 2 weeks short of his 94th birthday. He suffered a stroke on February 12th. For a guy who played tennis until he was 91, and who smoked a cigar right up until his stroke, this was a devastating blow. After fighting for a couple of weeks, he gave up fighting and had the sense/grace/ability to let go. My sister Nancy and I were lucky to see him frequently and so grateful we both spent time with him towards the end. You never know a book by it's cover. He appeared to be a simple man, but we all have our stories. I used to think of him as a diamond-in-the-rough. He sought simple pleasures and I also think he sought a deeper peace. He championed getting up with a smile on your face and it would be a good day. His greatest gift to me was the message that it's important to find something to do that you like doing...a reason to get up in the morning. I will miss him. I will miss the reassurance of his presence in the world, of his asking if I am ok and of his reassurance that I am ok. Thanks in large part to his presence on this earth, I believe it. May the memory of George ("Georgie-Peorgie") Zucker be an abiding blessing. He would want us all to move ahead with hope. 💖

I am not an overtly active political person. However I am writing today to appeal to my readers, friends, colleagues and anyone who has ever needed assistance with personal physical care to stop and consider how difficult it would be for you to go about your daily life if you had to depend on another person for hands-on help. Help to go to the bathroom, help to get dressed, help getting in and out of bed, help with travel to work or medical appointments, grocery shopping, bill paying, etc. Every day. Imagine you did not have family or friends nearby to help you. And imagine you did not have the financial resources to hire someone to help you. You work, you are active in your community, you pay your taxes. Throughout my life and work, I have known people living with these challenges. You may too. The personal care services provided through the Medicaid program are lifelines to their continued independence and ability to live among us in the community. Now these services are threatened. Please put yourself in their shoes. Take action. Contact your elected officials, particularly your U.S. Senators and urge them to stop or slow what they are considering doing to the Medicaid program. Their actions this week will affect all of our lives. Thank you. "What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?" ~ George Eliot

It has been an eventful year for many of us. As we go forward please - Remember & Celebrate the good, both big and small. Learn what you can from the good and the bad and then Release the rest. Accept yourself and Start where you are. Have faith in the potential for good and for positive change in yourself and others. Don't forget to smile! Happy 2017! Always Moving Ahead with Hope - Robin

Check out this week's Aha Moment!

Aha Moments | movingaheadwithhope Mini-Golf & Pizza What is an aha moment? Some people call it a "eureka!" moment, when suddenly everything seems clear! About a year ago I had such a moment. I w...

To get ready for fall I'm sharing a great list of education and employment resources on the blog! Check it out.

Education & Employment Resources | movingaheadwithhope As Labor Day approaches our thoughts turn education and employment. Here are a few resources providing information and links. More to come...share your own reso...