What a difference a week makes!

Definitely laid off the sauce this week. After last week's bout with the mayor of Margaritaville, I decided to take it easy -- giving myself a chance to catch up, physically, and to take care of my body a bit better than I have been these past few weeks.

The result:  I feel great. Well-rested and able to multi-task again. I've found that the more run-down I get, the harder it is to do three things at once. And no, updating my Facebook status isn't one of those three things (that's a given).

Gone are the Dark Circles of Death below my eyes. Finished are the blank stares I give people when I catch myself momentarily falling asleep. Back to the stretching in the morning and the long walks after work. It all feels so good.

Coming off a holiday week like Easter and Passover means many an entertaining story about the family. One disturbing part about Passover this year was watching my mom's hands negotiate everything she tried to lift/carry. Right down to the "seder plate" (a traditional plate, beautifully decorated to hold a shank bone) -- which she nearly dropped because her hands couldn't hold it upright.

This concerned me for two reasons:  because I have dibs on that really cool seder plate one day. But, more importantly, because it's sad when you see someone you love who has trouble doing everyday things -- like holding a plate.

The family rallied around her and kept my future seder plate safe. I jumped up to help her, as I always do, but I couldn't help but pause to reflect.

I can't imagine painting Easter eggs would have been any easier for her.

There's a fine line between superstitious and ludicrous. I like to think I fall squarely in the latter category, especially when it comes to my health. When I feel good I don't like to talk about it. When I feel crummy, I don't like to think about it. I know a lot of people who are very superstitious about their health -- especially when it comes to seeing doctors and taking medicine. It's as though they cut everything off, cold turkey, when things are going their way. Probably a pretty stupid idea, but I don't fault the psychological positioning of it.

It all became clear after a friend told me about a book she just finished, "The Secret," which is all about imagining something with the right concentration -- which ultimately makes it (whatever "it" may be) materialize.

I took away from this the fact that I've been doing just that for a long time, as it relates to my health. I imagine myself healthier than I really am all the time. Whether it's choosing to take the stairs (which I ultimately regret by the third flight) or attempting to open a screw-top beer bottle, I channel my health and try like heck to make it happen. So far -- knock-on-wood -- it's working.

It's like the old saying:  "mind over matter ... but if you don't mind, it doesn't matter."