NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

Readers Respond

‘Art’ of Coping Inspires

Image
A purple flower blooms through a crack in the cement.
Audacity helps. Coping with Covid.

Photo:  NIMH director Dr. Joshua Gordon

Image
Painting of purple flowers, long green stems against a light blue sky
Painting by Dr. Shilpa Amin, ORWH clinical research section

Photo:  Shilpa Amin

Image
Painting of purple and orange flowers with wisps of red against a yellow and green background
Painting by Dr. Shilpa Amin, ORWH clinical research section

Photo:  Shilpa Amin

The NIH Record asked readers to tell us how they’re handling life at the moment. So many responses inspired us. Such concise beauty. A few made us laugh. Clever puns and wordplay. And the images! Here are some of the earliest we received. 

Hear ye this, procrastinators! There’s still time to send in a haiku, short verse (25 words or fewer), original art or photo. We’d love a selfie as well. Email submissions to nihrecord@nih.gov.

(Not) Coping

A smiling Kenney sits on the grass next to her dog.
ORS's Amy Kenney with Finnegan

Photo:  Amy Kenney

I am very numb
Telework forever please
This plague drains my soul 

Sunshine, Novels and Canines

Romp around outside  
Blast good tunes and read good books
Snuggle with the dog

Amy Kenney, Immigration Specialist, 
ORS Division of International Services

Coping

A day at a time
Finding the beauty in it
Giving myself grace

Dr. Mia Rochelle Lowden, OD Division of Comparative Medicine

Zoom and Teams, no prob.
Still no good with time zone math. 
Sorry, RML! 

Catherine Ribaudo, radiation safety officer & director, ORS Division of Radiation Safety

Hamster inspired…
Get on, sprint, stop, breathe, repeat…
Running on treadmills.

Dr. David A. Kosub, OER health science policy analyst

Glory is fragrant 
Blooming a season of hope
Life, peace, joy and love.

Two green and one clear vase on a table filled with purple and yellow flowers
Painting by Dr. Shilpa Amin, ORWH clinical research section

Photo:  Shilpa Amin

Dr. Shilpa Amin, ORWH clinical research section

Uncertainty now
What’s to come is more of that
Mask your emotions

Groundhog day we live
Our shadows are our company
Spring always arrives

David Rosen, chief, OER Web 
Development & Technical Branch

Grace and compassion
Soaking up time with my kids
Thankful for blessings

Soujanya Giambone, management analyst, OD Division of Logistics Services

 

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

Published 25 times each year, it comes out on payday Fridays.

Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)