19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, November 11, 1914: <<no entry>>
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma –
Are you okay? You were so sad three days ago when your “third romance ended in tragedy.” I’m concerned about you now. How are you dealing with your heartache?
—
A hundred years ago, people thought about emotions a little differently than we do now. Here some quotes from a hundred-year-old book:
Worry is a type of fear. It is a futile regret over past mistakes and the miserable forecasting of the future.
As no one’s future can be clear throughout, there is never wanting the matter of anxiety to a mind susceptible of this state.
And, not only the imagination, but the intellect, the emotions, and the will have or may have a powerful influence over the sensations and organic functions.
Mental attitude refers not to the will or the emotions, but to the mind in its entirety. The trend of a woman’s thoughts, the use she makes of her intellect, the strength of the volition, the sense of responsibility, and the objects of her life are all questions that have a distinct bearing upon the bodily functions and the health of the individual.
Personal Hygiene and Physical Training for Women (1911) by Anna Galbraith
A very good definition of worry.
I just hope Helena isn’t utterly miserable.
I also liked the definition.
It’s too bad she didn’t write about her feelings in her diary, it would have given her a sense of release!! Have a super week! Hugz Lisa and Bear
I also wish she’d written about her feelings in the diary–but I guess it just wasn’t her style.
It is true that worry can take a physical toll. I hope Helena isn’t brooding.
Yes, worry and anxiety can be very physically draining.
I like the photo. I always wondered if the roads were originally so close to the houses?
There’s a picture of McEwensville in the early 1900s on the “Setting” page.
https://ahundredyearsago.com/setting/
The road was dirt back then and there were a lot of trees shading the street. The road might have been a little narrower back then–but it looks pretty close to the houses in the old picture.
I think a lot folks back then dealt with problems by not talking about them. Good advise when it comes to worry too bad I can’t take it!
Different people handle problems in different ways.
As the year thinks about coming to a close I am beginning to think about Grandma and this blog. I hope it will not mean the end of the blog only new beginnings. 🙂
I’ll also miss my daily visits with Grandma when the diary ends. Over the past few years, I’ve discovered that I really enjoy blogging so I started looking for another project. And, I found it in my father’s attic. I found a handwritten cookbook and other memorabilia of a great aunt who joined the Women’s Army Corps (WACs) during WWII at the age of 45. I’ve been having a lot of fun researching her story and plan to start a new blog about her as this one winds down.
Oh that’s wonderful Sheryl! It must be exciting to be working on the next chapter in your blogging life. So glad to hear it.
Emotional stress does affect the body. I just don’t know what all we can “will away” in terms of our feelings and emotions. Allowing them a place to be felt seems to be one way to deal. PS- I love the photo. One day I’ll visit that town in my travels to see family in PA 🙂
It takes time to work through stress–and allowing a place for it to be felt can help.(I really liked the way you described it.)
McEwensville is a wonderful little town. It’s nice to hear that you liked the photo.