Articles written by Nancy Berman

What is Helium

About me - Nancy Berman

I am a married mother of two young boys in my early 40s. I have a Ph.D. in Musicology, and I teach Music History and Appreciation at a semi-private college in a large city. I live in the suburbs of this large city and commute to work in my sage-green mini-van.

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Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Funny pet stories: 1 of 33
We are what you would call an allergic family. Between the four of us we are allergic to almost every form of plant and animal life. When I was a teenager my parents had me tested for environmental and seasonal allergies: out of the 50 substances tested, I was not allergic to sheep and two kinds of mold. My husband's lips dis... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Winter: 16 of 193
FebruaryFebruary is so stillIt waits to see what happens nextHovering, oppressiveDesultory, gray and fadedSaggingLacklusterFebruary is nowhereBarren, it liesBetween festivity and celebrationWeak and bitter and uglyA friendless hag. More..
Health & Fitness > Allergies Coping with food intolerance and allergies: 4 of 34
Multiple Severe Food Allergies and the School-Age ChildWhen my son Ben started kindergarten five years ago, I was pleased that an allergy protocol was already in place at his school. Students were not permitted to bring to school food items containing peanuts, the nurse was informed concerning allergic children, an extra epi-... More..
Travel > Travel Diaries & Adventures (Other) Weird travel stories: 17 of 69
When you travel, the abundance of new sights, sounds, tastes and smells leave such a strong imprint on your mind that, even years later, you never know what will trigger a memory of a long ago trip. A particularly good falafel quickly downed at lunch in Toronto might recall a childhood trip to the Middle East, or the pungent ... More..
Health & Fitness > Emotional Health & Wellbeing Burnout syndrome: its causes and symptoms: 1 of 4
Many people use the term "burnout" loosely, to describe the way they feel when they're tired, run-down, over-worked, under-nourished, in need of a break. But real burnout, as originally described by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s in his books Burnout, Women's Burnout, and others, although it may ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Awareness & Realization Perception, gratitude and inner power: 6 of 18
"Every morning, when you get up, think of ten things you are grateful for." This was the advice given to me by a good friend when I was going through a very rough patch in my life, suffering with debilitating chronic pain and fatigue. Just getting out of bed was extremely difficult physically, and the thought of spending anot... More..
Health & Fitness > Healthy Living & Wellness Tips for sleeping better: 3 of 8
Make sleep your best friend. Get to know it well, and learn to enjoy its company. Don't feel guilty about getting reacquainted with this old buddy. Without enough quality sleep you eventually turn into a quivering blob of tears and frustration; with enough quality sleep you feel you can run a marathon with a smile on your fac... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Self-Healing How to heal your mind: 6 of 15
One day last December I woke up, barely able to move. At first I could hardly stand; once standing, I could barely breathe. Even sitting or lying down, the muscles between my ribs strained with each inhalation. It hurt to lift a cup of tea. Over the course of the next year I became intimately acquainted with pain: inescapable... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Adolescence How to cope with adolescent behavior: 9 of 14
Parenting an adolescent is like giving birth and going through the baby years all over again, except that now the stakes are higher. Giving birth is scary, painful, and unpredictable; waking up one day to find your child in full-blown puberty is no less so. Giving birth is a physical tearing away of your own flesh and blood; ... More..
Health & Fitness > Emotional Health & Wellbeing Burnout syndrome: causes and cures: 4 of 6
Recovering from burnout can be very long, and very difficult. It can seem even longer and more difficult because, generally speaking, people who suffer from burnout are not usually very patient with themselves to begin with, and are not used to sitting on the sidelines of life watching everyone else "get ahead" or have fun. I... More..