By Susan Keats, Contributor & Seize-the-Day Propagandist
Did you know that a 50 year old woman from MY TOWN has found a secret to rid herself of wrinkles that is even better than Botox? And can you believe, DOCTORS don’t want me to know about it?
And, did you know that a 65 year old woman, also from MY TOWN (wow, what a talented town I live in) has NO CELLULITE and if I just click….right here on this….oh.  I have to watch this long video thing and….oh.  I have to buy this … stuff….
Now that I have achieved mid life, I’m [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor & Seize-the-Day Propagandist
“I’m sorry.  Do I know you?”
That was the reply I received to an email inquiry I sent to a teacher at a local school.  I was hoping to find piano lessons for one of my children and I wanted to find a really good teacher, so I sent out a few emails to people asking for recommendations.
No matter how I read her reply, it seems rude to me.  I’ve tried to read it out loud in a variety of voices:
Sweet voice:   “I’m sorry.  Do I know you?”  Seems a little sarcastic.
Casual voice:  “I’m sorry?  [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor & Seize-the-Day Propagandist
The theater was dark, the movie had just started. The woman was large, slowly making her way down the aisle, popcorn in her right hand, eyes on the screen. Just as she came to my row, she started to edge her way in, then, without taking her eyes off the movie, she sat. On me.
What would you have done?
I know exactly what you are saying. In fact, that question seems stupid doesn’t it? What would I have done? I would have said something like, “Hey LADY! Get off me!” Or maybe something more polite, [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
OK, I have a confession. I’m putting myself out on a ledge here and some of you will think I’m crazy, but I’m not. I know I’m not because over a lifetime of inquiry on the topic, I know many of you have your own stories to tell and I know you’re not all crazy either. So here it goes…in time for Halloween…deep breath…
I hear dead people.
Not all the time mind you, and I can’t make it happen. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had an experience that I would consider to [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
A friend called recently. She had just learned that another friend of hers was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She could not stop crying after she received the news and had not yet called her friend to offer her… what? What is the right thing to say? What, as a good friend, do you do?
When my husband called my friends to tell them that I had a cancer diagnosis (because I could not get through an entire sentence without breaking down into sobs) they felt very much the same way. What do they say? What do they do? [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
Ever wake up and think, gee, I’d like to walk over hot coals today, just to see if I can? There was a story in the news recently about a number of people going to the hospital with 3rd degree wounds and blisters on their feet because they were participating in some sort of inner strength and mind over matter seminar. These stories burn me up. Call me a hot head, but I just don’t get it. Walking over coals, climbing deadly mountains or participating in grueling, body-punishing events do not demonstrate anything about you as a [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
I want to share this story because it is true and I think it is a beautiful story on many levels. It also helps to explain another reason why your small gifts or moments of kindness can be so meaningful.
I was still undergoing chemo, but with my family’s blessing, I took the opportunity during my good week to fly to Maine, which is one of my favorite places on earth.
On this particular trip I stayed in a small town called Wiscasset. There is a bakery there by the name of “Treats” which makes home baked goods. This [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
I am running down the hall. In the living room there is a party going on and women are dancing to the music. I’m nervous. Very very nervous. One of the women calls to me. Suuuusaaaaan. Its yooooouuurr turrrrnnn! She has a feather boa in her hands and she wants me to shimmy my way into the center of the circle and hoochie koo around with the birthday gal. So instead, I am running down the hall and hiding in the kitchen. Nightmare? No. Totally true. The idea of dancing, letting myself go, being [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
I don’t have much respect for anxiety. My own anxiety is ridiculously annoying. I was never an anxious person until that cancer diagnosis came from out of the blue. Now I worry about my health all the time. I have read that anxiety serves a purpose: to keep you aware of potential danger, but when you really think about it, anxiety just keeps you in a perpetual state of worry. That can’t be healthy, it just can’t. So I’m doing what I can to kick anxiety out of my head, out of my house, [...]

By Susan Keats, Contributor &  Seize-the-Day Propagandist
An old friend of mine recently chopped her finger off.
It wasn’t intentional and it wasn’t her whole finger, but it was a nice chunk. She was trimming plants in her garden and trimmed her thumb right off along with a stem. Ugh! It must have been awful!
This happened while I was still undergoing treatment and feeling pretty sick myself. She and I had not been in touch for a long time, but when I heard about it I sent her an email expressing how surprised and sorry I was to hear of her finger [...]