In the heyday of my interior design career, I noticed that many mature women surrounded themselves with pink. Consultations took me into the homes of women in their 60s and 70s who lived alone.

I could have wagered a bet, sight unseen, that I would find significant traces of that delicate hue lurking in their decor. Attempts to steer them into other color palettes almost never succeeded. Nor did they want magenta or fuchsia. They wanted soft, fleshy, little-girl pink.

I was curious, but not curious enough, to delve into the psychology behind that fascinating inclination. I took note and learned how to be creative within those limited parameters.

Now, I myself am in that shadowy period of time between old-ish and just plain old and – you guessed it – I’ve lost my aversion to pink. Although I refuse to decorate my home in that color, I’m drawn to fabrics, clothing and accessories in various shades of blush.

On a recent shopping spree, I barely noticed anything that wasn’t some rendition of rose. When I realized what I was doing, I remembered those design days. Why, at this stage of life, had my preferences changed?

When it became personal, my interest level spiked. A Google search brought me to an article about the psychology of color. It asked a simple question:

How Does Pink Make You Feel?

The ‘aha’ moment came with a woman’s answer: “Although green used to be my favorite color, pink has the strongest and deepest emotional influence to me. The color pink to me has a deeply joyful vibe to it. Like being “home.”

She continues, “A familiar friendly place deep within everyone’s heart where there are no worries, you are never lonely, you have everything in life that you ever wanted. You are loved and accepted by everyone. You feel as if you’ll never get old. Anyone you’ve missed or lost in life, you are able to meet once again and rejoice.”

I read it once, then twice, then again, isolating the words: joyful, friendly, no worries, never lonely, loved, accepted, forever young, no losses, a feeling like being home. Isn’t that what everyone longs for? If a color could manifest such wellbeing for one person, maybe it worked in similar ways for others.

Another woman wrote that since she no longer has to compromise with her husband, she surrounds herself in pink. Her words were even more revealing. “Pink makes me think of springtime flowers and all things fresh and new. It seems like a really inspiring color. If I could, I would paint my room all pink so that I could always feel that sense of inspiration and renewal.”

The Ultimate Rebellion

If she could – why couldn’t she? Was pink the ultimate rebellion against all the inhibitions, restraints, and compromises of a lifetime of pleasing others? Was it the indulgence in self-pleasure that only seems possible after the work’s all done?

Looking back, I see those elder clients sitting serene on their cushy pink sofas and Queen Anne chairs. I remember feeling mild nausea and now I’m thinking about that, too. Was I jealous of their freedom?

I was still bound by self-imposed obligations to others. Did I long to break the chains and become what their pink homes signified? Or did I just detest pink, and if so, why was that?

I read on and more clues appeared: “Feminine, attractive, vibrant… bright pink or paler, no matter what age, makes me feel flirty…,” shared Jill Cleggett

“Hot pink is vivacious and joyous. I think that hot pink embodies who I try to be as a person: full of life and character… More muted pinks represent youth and innocence, while loud forms of pink exude sexiness and boldness… Pink is my euphoria.” That from DrEbz.

Pink Is Our Euphoria

Did she say, “Pink is my euphoria?” At the time I hated pink I was about as far from euphoria as Earth is from Neptune. I didn’t feel sexy, vivacious, flirty or joyous. Everything in my life was a compromise.

In fact, it wasn’t even my life. I was living another’s dream. No wonder I avoided that happy color like it were death. It represented what I wanted but didn’t have.

Perhaps pink is the reward. Once we have identified our goals, are moving toward who we are meant to be, are using the talents we were born with, and have learned to love ourselves – even the shadows within – we finally deserve pink. It’s a bold statement of self-affirmation. Until then, lesser colors will do.

What is your favorite color? Do you like different colors now than when you were younger? How does pink make you feel? Please share your thoughts below!

How many passwords do you have to keep track of? Have you ever counted them? I stopped counting after I hit 200 (but I have two businesses so hopefully it’s not that many for everyone).

I know it’s all for our own safety and security of our personal information, but I find myself thinking, “Can we just scan my eyeballs and get it over with already!?!” The volume of passwords we have to use in our lives these days feels ridiculous.

Your Magic Words

Remember as a kid being asked “What are the magic words?” You were probably being reminded by adults who cared about you, like a parent, teacher, or grandparent, to remember your manners and say “please” or “thank you,” right?

The magic words I encourage you to think about this month are your passwords because they actually have to do with people you care about but in a different way.

Help in the Kitchen

Take the kitchen for example. It’s a location that helps us show love… by sharing meals with family and friends. We often work together in the kitchen to create favorite foods with tools and kitchen gadgets that we know exactly where to find.

But what if you didn’t know where the tools in the kitchen were? We have all been to someone else’s home, for example, and found ourselves helping with dishes or putting away items after a meal with no idea where anything belongs. The same thing can happen with our passwords. Unless someone tells us, we can’t help even if we want to.

Help with Your Finances

How do you help loved ones find things financially when unexpected events strike? I had a family member who lived on the east coast of the United States, and his aunt lived on the west coast. After she passed away, as her successor trustee, he made more than one airplane trip just to finish finding all of her financial information.

Our passwords are especially tricky since we do such a good job of keeping them confidential and not easily found. Today we are acquiring SO many passwords as we log in for work related software, retail sites, music/entertainment choices, health and prescription services, bank/investment/retirement accounts, the list goes on.

It’s About the Access

I am not an expert in the area of identifying or storing passwords, so my point is not to give you tips on how to create the best and safest passwords. Instead, I have seen from experience helping families with their finances throughout their lives and all the way to the end of their lives that it’s crucial to realize how important passwords are.

You not only must keep track of them securely, but you also must remember to set up a contingency plan for when someone else will need to access them on your behalf.

Notice I didn’t say IF someone needs to access them on your behalf. You have these tools in your financial toolbox, but if no one can access them, they don’t do you any good.

If you end up in the hospital unconscious, for example, does your significant other or friend/relative who may need to help temporarily, know where to find the passwords if needed? Or same question if you pass away unexpectedly with no hospital stay first. Either way, someone will need your passwords before or after you are gone.

The Knowing

You may be nodding your head as you are reading this. Yes, it is important that someone knows how to access your passwords when needed. You agree. But it may be like many good financial practices… we learn, we are aware, we agree they are important, yet did we take action on those guidelines?

The Doing

Here is one option. Maybe you leave instructions in a sealed envelope in your home/file and tell the pertinent person now where that envelope is so he/she knows where to look when the time comes.

Or maybe those Magic (pass)Words are on your phone, on a hard drive, in a secure folder on your computer, in a booklet in your safe, etc. Plus, you need to think through who and how someone should access that information WHEN needed. You get to decide, but you also need to take action now on that decision.

In times of unexpected events, it’s not about you knowing your passwords, it’s about you having told someone how to access them before it’s ever needed!

What is your contingency plan for accessing your password? Have you had an experience trying to help someone when the passwords were unknown? Let’s have a discussion below.

My friend’s mother died recently after a sudden stroke, and among her belongings he and his siblings discovered volumes of journals, going back 40 years. They started reading through these family artifacts and learned a lot. Perhaps more than they wanted to.

Private Thoughts and Feelings, Revealed

Suddenly, they were inside their mom’s head and heart, privy to her musings and concerns. In beautiful prose and old-school penmanship, she expressed worry about her children and laid out thoughtful analysis of their decision-making, both good and bad.

She painted decades of vivid vignettes, where she felt unheard and powerless. She worried about her grandchildren and took pride in their accomplishments. She detailed many happy birthdays and merry Christmases.

She expressed anger and affection for unlikely targets. Reflections on unfulfilled aspirations were interspersed with reviews of movies she enjoyed and details of pleasant outings with friends and family.

Should these adult children assume their mother wanted them to know her innermost thoughts? Should they have respected her privacy and not read them?

Maybe she didn’t think her kids would take the time to read them. Or maybe, writing for herself and caught up in the process, it never occurred to her.

Whatever her intent, her adult children now see beyond their mom’s smiles and brave face. It’s a one-way conversation, with no opportunities for questions or explanations.

Keep or Toss?

My friend’s experience made me think about the many notebooks I’ve filled over 25 years of journaling, and the box in the basement where they’re stored. I can visualize my son and daughter discovering that box, two or three decades from now, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Like my friend and his siblings, my children may learn more than they want or need to. Words written for myself will become personal disclosures.

My kids know the basic arc of my story, of course, and they’ll remember – or be reminded of – many of the scenes, events, and conversations I deconstructed. Some of those memories may be sweet; others, not so much. Maybe my words would ruin sweet memories, but sweeten others.

Like many women, I wrote more during times of turmoil, and still do. Journaling allows me to vent and sort out my feelings about many aspects of my life – including my role in the matters I’m venting about. What could I have done differently? What have I learned?

Journaling creates a private and peaceful space, even when we’re not at peace. It’s a practice that, I’d like to believe, makes me wiser and more self-aware.

Engaging in self-censorship – out of fear someone would read my words someday – would weaken the emotional and psychological benefits of journaling, and there are many.

Recent research on journaling shows that it helps people identify and accept their emotions and manage stress. Some studies suggest it can actually strengthen the immune system, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep and working memory.

It has been shown to be effective in enhancing mood and managing mild depression. And because it calms and clears the mind, journaling can also reduce anxiety.

What Do We Want Our Children to Know?

My children will be privy to the full palette of my emotions, and maybe understand why I felt as I did. Will they scan for their names and only read those sections? Perhaps they’ll notice variations in my handwriting or choice of pen, and feel different energies coming through.

Maybe the tiny fine-point print of a mechanical pencil and the fast, scribbly brain dumps with a ballpoint or gel pen will add dimension to my story.

Part of me wants to leave these books and share the thoughts and feelings I had when they were growing up, and since. Maybe it will have value for them; after all, they were probably affected by much of it.

Knowing what was going through my heart and mind may give them useful insight into their childhoods and their lives today.

But another part of me thinks I should burn or shred them. Do I really want my children to read my thoughts on such important matters yet not be able to ask me questions? Could the revelations in this one-way conversation be a burden to them, or harm them in some way?

I won’t be around to know. I want to make things as easy as I can for my kids and grandkids when I go, and maybe leaving my journals behind is not consistent with that goal.

There are many pros and cons, and ethical concerns, about adult children reading their parents’ (usually it’s mom’s) journals. There are many factors to consider, and what’s right for one family might not be right for another.

For some, the revelations could be disruptive to the next generation. For others, it may bring understanding that serves them well. It’s one of many decisions we have to make as we plan for our departure from our children’s lives, even though it may be decades away.

What do you think about your children reading your journals after you’re gone? Do you think they’d want to? Have you read the journal of a deceased friend or family member? How did it affect you? Please share any thoughts and experiences you have so we can all learn.

The Bachelor Fashion: Season 25 Episode 10

On tonight’s episode of The Bachelor Matt gets to know the three remaining women a bit lot more intimately on dates which appear to include camping in the woods, a Ghost-style pottery making sesh and a romantic milk(?) bath. And while we’ll have to wait and see which ladies are ready to spend the night with him afterwards in the fantasy suite, we’ll be shopping some of the looks below that are ready to spend eternity in our closets.

*Additional looks will be added after the show airs*

Fashionably,

Faryn

Bri Springs’ Brown Off the Shoulder Ruched Dress

Click Here to Shop Her Alix NYC Dress

Click Here For Additional Stock

Style Stealers:

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Michelle Young’s White High Waisted Bikini

Click Here to Shop Her Bikini on Amazon in Many Colours

Style Stealers:

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Rachael Kirkconnell’s Denim Jacket

Click Here to Shop Her Wild Fable Jacket at Target

Click Here to Shop Her Nike Sneakers in Multiple Colours

Style Stealers:

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Rachael Kirkconnell’s Beige Ribbed Top

Click Here to See Her Sold Out PrettyLittleThing Top

Style Stealers:

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Bri Springs’ Black Shiny Puffer Jacket

Tna Jacket Sold Out at Artizia

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The Bachelor Airs MONDAY, MARCH 8 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

Originally posted at: The Bachelor Fashion: Season 25 Episode 10

Now more than ever, because of the unprecedented public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 disease, the health, safety, and welfare of those of us who have severe chronic medical conditions, like heart, lung, or kidney disease, is on the line.

In order to receive care during the pandemic safely, telehealth services have been brought to the forefront. Based on telemedicine’s growth and pervasiveness, Medicare beneficiaries have easier access to telehealth services, including office visits, psychotherapy, and consultations using real-time audio and video.

Expanded Medicare Coverage for Telehealth Services

Most people with Medicare end up being higher risk for more serious Covid-19 illnesses. To keep you as safe as possible and progressively respond to the current public health emergency, Medicare has expanded its coverage of telehealth services.

This unprecedented action was taken to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to stay home to reduce their risk of exposure to Covid-19. Medicare will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telemedicine services for beneficiaries residing in all 50 states and DC.

Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, like other virtual services, uses digital information and communication technologies. From computers, tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices, telehealth gives you the opportunity to access healthcare services remotely and manage your healthcare without delay.

The technologies can be used from the comfort of your home. Your doctor uses technologies on his or her end to improve or support the healthcare services they provide to you. For example, doctors can use mobile health apps and wearable monitoring devices to track your vitals and give alerts on needed care.

Some services that have been expanded by Medicare for telehealth include:

• Availability of a broader range of communication tools (including smartphones).
• Ability to interact with a range of providers, including doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.

What’s Covered with Medicare’s Expanded Telehealth Services?

Medicare beneficiaries can receive a specific set of services through telehealth, including evaluation and management visits (common office visits), mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings without a copayment if you have Original Medicare.

All of these expansions will help ensure you’re able to visit your doctor from your home so that you won’t have to leave your house to go to a doctor’s office or hospital. Leaving your house for these types of activities puts you and others at risk of exposure to Covid-19.

Here’s some additional information to keep in mind when using telehealth services during the pandemic:

Virtual Check-Ins

Medicare Part B pays for “virtual check-ins.” These include brief, virtual services with your physician or certain practitioners where the communication isn’t related to a medical visit within the previous seven days and doesn’t lead to a medical visit within the next 24 hours (or soonest appointment available).

Telehealth and Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage plans may also reimburse you for telehealth services. Check with your provider directly for their telehealth guidelines.

Consent

Before using telehealth services, you’re required to consent verbally to using virtual check-ins. Also, your doctor is required to document that consent in your medical record before you use this service. You pay your usual Medicare coinsurance and deductible for these telehealth services.

Online Patient Portals

Online patient portals are covered by Medicare. These portals allow you to communicate with your doctors without going to the doctor’s office. Similar to virtual check-ins, you’re required to initiate these individual communications.

Audio-Only Allowed

If you don’t have access to interactive audio-video technology needed for Medicare telehealth services or choose not to use it even if offered by your practitioner, Medicare allows you to use an audio-only phone for these services.

Full Visits Available

For full visits with your doctor, communication technology is allowed to be used. Also, you can get these visits at rural health clinics and federally qualified health clinics. Medicare pays for many medical visits through this telehealth benefit.

Take Advantage of Medicare’s Telehealth Services

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken unprecedented action to expand telehealth during this pandemic. It’s highly recommended that you use your Medicare-covered telehealth services for routine healthcare situations such as wellness visits, medication consultation, dermatology (skincare), eye exams, nutrition counseling, and mental health counseling.

Telehealth can ultimately serve as a lifeline by increasing social distancing while avoiding additional negative consequences from delayed preventive, chronic, or routine care. What’s best, you’ll receive the same quality of care through telehealth services as you’d get during an in-person visit.

Have you tried the telehealth services offered by Medicare? What is your experience thus far? Do you think there’s room for improvement? What are some of the advantages of telemedicine, and do you think this service should still be available post-Covid?