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Motivation 2020: On Father’s Day #FathersDay
“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature” Antoine François Prévost
Motivation 2020: On Father’s Day
I’m a father; that’s what matters most. Nothing matters more. Gordon Brown
I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad,” Kobe Bryant
I love being a dad. Fatherhood is the best thing that could happen to me, and I’m just glad I can share my voice. Dwyane Wade
I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom. Umberto Eco
One of the greatest gifts my father gave me – unintentionally – was witnessing the courage with which he bore adversity. We had a bit of a rollercoaster life with some really challenging financial periods. He was always unshaken, completely tranquil, the same ebullient, laughing, jovial man. Ben Okri
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY: In the USA, Father’s Day falls on June 21 in 2020. This year, with the global pandemic as a looming backdrop to everything we do, we will celebrate Father’s Day with gratitude and gusto. If there is anything that makes valuing our lives and relationships as precious and perhaps ephemeral, this season of great global change is one to remember. Even though my Dad is no longer alive, I have brothers, uncles, inlaws, and friends that I cherish and so that special day would be an opportunity to honor them and all they do. Throughout this post, I’ve shared poems that get to the heart of the matter of what being a father means to so many of us. Yet, I would be remiss if I ignore the fact that some relationships haven’t always been the greatest and that some children have sad and painful memories of their fathers. It is my wish and prayer that, if you belong to that group of kids who felt betrayed by your father, you will find peace, love, and comfort on the road to healing yourself. Don’t despair. The upside is that we can choose partners and/or become better examples of parenting for our loved ones. It is never too late to heal the wounds and betrayals of childhood. How are you planning to celebrate Father’s Day?
READ:- Motivation Mondays: For Our Fathers #fathersday 2019
Motivation Mondays: Father’s Day #mondaymotivation 2016
Happy Father’s Day: Love to all #DadsDay! 2016
Motivation Mondays: Father’s Day Matters 2017
Remembrance: Happy Father’s Day 2 2015
46 Best Father-Daughter Gifts That Dad Will Treasure
Only a Dad BY Edgar Albert Guest
Only a dad, with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame,
To show how well he has played the game,
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come, and to hear his voice.
Only a dad, with a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more.
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.
Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent, whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.
Only a dad, but he gives his all
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing, with courage stern and grim,
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen,
Only a dad, but the best of men. via poetryfoundation
The Gift BY Li-Young Lee
To pull the metal splinter from my palm
my father recited a story in a low voice.
I watched his lovely face and not the blade.
Before the story ended, he’d removed
the iron sliver I thought I’d die from.
I can’t remember the tale,
but hear his voice still, a well
of dark water, a prayer.
And I recall his hands,
two measures of tenderness
he laid against my face,
the flames of discipline
he raised above my head.
Had you entered that afternoon
you would have thought you saw a man
planting something in a boy’s palm,
a silver tear, a tiny flame.
Had you followed that boy
you would have arrived here,
where I bend over my wife’s right hand.
Look how I shave her thumbnail down
so carefully she feels no pain.
Watch as I lift the splinter out.
I was seven when my father
took my hand like this,
and I did not hold that shard
between my fingers and think,
Metal that will bury me,
christen it Little Assassin,
Ore Going Deep for My Heart.
And I did not lift up my wound and cry,
Death visited here!
I did what a child does
when he’s given something to keep.
I kissed my father. via poetryfoundation
Those Winter Sundays BY Robert Hayden
Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blue-black cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices? via poetryfoundation
“My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, ‘You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'” Michael Jordan
Motivation 2020: On Father’s Day
Motivation 2020: On Father’s Day
I feel that the greatest gift that I can give my children is the freedom to be who they are. Will Smith
It’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to be. Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn. Matthew McConaughey
He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a protector. Tom Wolfe
I love being a dad; it’s one of the joys of life. In fact, you can take it all away from me tomorrow, but don’t take away my children. Idris Elba
You gotta be really deliberate with how you choose to spend your day because those are the moments you’re away from your child. Mahershala Ali
Power Of Fatherly Stories: Stories are a great way to document family history and share wisdom words. I grew up listening to great storytellers who were quite adept at weaving a tale in and out for days. We would gather around a small bonfire in the family Obi (meeting room), after dinner, and listen to our elders tell stories of ancestral battles, ancient feats, and invented stories that were pithy with lessons. My memory of those special days remains with me even as I write this post. Stories educate, fortify, and warn us of the perils that could be our lot if we do not step with care and consideration on this planet. Sometimes, I wonder if the art of the griots is lost on our youth … I hope not. Enjoy the story and poems below.
READ:- Inspiration: Happy Father’s Day… 2012
Remembrance: Happy Father’s Day 2014
Happy Father’s Day & International Yoga Day: 20 Things That Matter 2015
Food Files: Father’s Day Gift Ideas
26 Best Father’s Day Songs to Play With Dad
A Story – Advice A Dad Would Give
Soyen Shaku, the first Zen teacher to come to America, said: “My heart burns like fire but my eyes are as cold as dead ashes.” He made the following rules which he practiced every day of his life.
In the morning before dressing, light incense and meditate.
Retire at a regular hour. Partake of food at regular intervals.
Eat with moderation and never to the point of satisfaction.
Receive a guest with the same attitude you have when alone.
When alone, maintain the same attitude you have in receiving guests.
Watch what you say, and whatever you say, practice it.
When an opportunity comes do not let it pass you by, yet always think twice before acting.
Do not regret the past. Look to the future.
Have the fearless attitude of a hero and the loving heart of a child.
Upon retiring, sleep as if you had entered your last sleep.
Upon awakening, leave your bed behind you instantly as if you had cast away a pair of old shoes.
Source: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones
Spree BY Maxine Kumin
My father paces the upstairs hall
a large confined animal
neither wild nor yet domesticated.
About him hangs the smell of righteous wrath.
My mother is meekly seated
at the escritoire. Rosy from my bath
age eight-nine-ten by now I understand
his right to roar, hers to defy
the bill from Wanamaker’s in his hand
the bill from Strawbridge’s held high
the bill from Bonwit Teller
and the all plum-colored Blum Store.
His anger smells like dinner parties
like trays of frothy daiquiris.
Against the pre-World-War-Two prime
standing ribs his carving knife
flashes a little drunkenly. He charms
all the other Bonwit-bedecked wives
but something overripe malingers.
I wear his wide cigar bands on my fingers.
Oh God it is so noisy!
Under my bed a secret stair
a gold and purple escalator
takes me nightly down under the sea.
Such dancings, such carryings on
with the prince of this-or-that
with the duke of ne’er-do-well
I the plain one, a size too large to tell
grow tremulous at stickpin and cravat
I in toe shoes and tutu suddenly
see shopping is an art form
a kind of costume ball.
Papá, would we so humbly come
to the scene in the upstairs hall
on the first of every month, except
you chose the mice for footmen, clapped
to call up the coach and four?
You sent to Paris for the ermine muff
that says I’m rich. To think twelve poor
little things had their heads chopped off
to keep my hands unseemly warm!
When you went fishing down the well
for fox furs, hats with peacock plumes
velvet evening capes, what else befell?
You paid the bills, Papá. You cast the spell. via poetryfoundation
To Her Father with Some Verses BY Anne Bradstreet
Most truly honoured, and as truly dear,
If worth in me or ought I do appear,
Who can of right better demand the same
Than may your worthy self from whom it came?
The principal might yield a greater sum,
Yet handled ill, amounts but to this crumb;
My stock’s so small I know not how to pay,
My bond remains in force unto this day;
Yet for part payment take this simple mite,
Where nothing’s to be had, kings loose their right.
Such is my debt I may not say forgive,
But as I can, I’ll pay it while I live;
Such is my bond, none can discharge but I,
Yet paying is not paid until I die. via poetryfoundation
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for MAY – JUNE 2020 are:
MAY
05/01 – 01 May Day, May is Mental Health Awareness Month
05/03 – 03 World Laughter Day/ Press Freedom Day, 05 Cinco De Mayo/ National Teacher Day/World Asthma Day, 06 National Nurses Day, 07 National Day of Prayer
05/10 – 10 Mother’s Day (US), 15 International Day of Families, 16 Armed Forces Day/International Day of Light
05/17 – 17 World Telecommunication and Information Day, 20 World Bee Day, 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, 23 Eid al Fitr Starts/Ramadan Ends/International Day to End Obstetric Fistula/World Turtle Day
05/24 – 24 National Brother Day, 25 Memorial Day, 28 Shavuot Starts, 29 International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 30 World MS Day/Shavuot ends, 31 World NO Tobacco Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
06/01 – 02 BLACKOUT DAY,
06/07
06/14
06/21 – 19 Juneteenth, 20 World Refugee Day, 21 International Yoga, 21 Father’s Day
06/28
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
More Below Read more…
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jnr.
Motivation 2020: May Peace, Love & Justice Prevail #blackoutday
I am sharing posts that express my pain and thoughts on the events of the last 7 days when many around the world got to watch an 8 1/2 minute video of George Floyd being slowly and painfully killed by a police officer’s knee pressed to his neck. I cannot bring myself to watch it but I’ve read many accounts of how it played out. Where is our humanity? our compassion? our common decency? To remain silent in the face of such a reprehensible act is a betrayal of all humanity. I am comforted by the peaceful protests led by people of all races. I am comforted by members of law enforcement who have spoken out and called it murder. I am comforted by the dialogue going on in many circles and blackout Tuesday that brings this 400+ year problem to the forefront again, again and again. This post is also addressing a discussion in another group about Blackout Tuesday/Mutes and other some other points on responding to these events. I am including resources for those of us who sincerely want to understand the issues; those who want to listen and learn and speak up honestly without being distracted by other stuff. May peace, love, and justice prevail.
Why This Matters: As a black woman who has family, friends, and an upbringing that spans our global community, I am moved by all peaceful actions that speak to the solidarity we need in the face of racism, hatred, and ignorance.
In 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr led a non-violent, peaceful protest to fight racial Injustice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Montgomery Bus boycott was the impetus behind that protest. What led to it? Rosa Parks, in a single act of defiance, refused to move to the back of the bus and that act triggered a movement that grew beyond Alabama. The boycott was meant to be for 1 day and the rest is … civil rights history.
Non-violent Resistance/Civil disobedience has many faces and people choose an approach that resonates with them. Blackouts, art, donations, speeches, peaceful protest, and a wide range of creative endeavors fall under the rubric and all have merit.
George Floyd’s brother, Terence, spoke out yesterday asking for peaceful protests, educating ourselves, and using our votes to make a difference. These are all important steps we can take to bring unity in a time of sadness. How we choose to express it is up to us and blackout Tuesday serves a purpose because it shows a form of support.
Can we do more? Definitely. We need to educate ourselves on our racial history, teach our children, speak up, support justice, and remember that it all begins in our hearts and homes. We are all human first, and until we see that humanity in each other’s faces and honor it without prejudice, we will continue to struggle with discrimination.
As a black woman, a person of color, I cannot claim to speak for all black people because we are as diverse in our thinking as we are in our shades of melanin. I speak from my heart, my experience, my training as an educator, and my membership in the human race.
During this time, we need to encourage and empower each other to choose our own way of expressing our sadness over the death of George and the many others who have suffered similar fates in the African American community. I believe we are all God’s children and I believe that visual, verbal, blackouts/mutes, and all creative actions that speak to the solidarity we need right now are valid.
Please take a moment, if you wish, to read Dr. King’s philosophy on nonviolent protests: https://thekingcenter.org/
and also Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha philosophy: https://www.mkgandhi.org/faq/
Different approaches, same goals. May peace, love, and justice prevail. Please remember that the issues at hand speak to the 400+ year negation of people of color and the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter brings attention to years of systemic, structural, and institutional racism in this great country. Some of it is covert but, a lot of it is overt, and we must no longer deny its existence. So to say that black lives matter doesn’t mean that all lives aren’t sacred, ALL LIVES are. When we all can see the humanity in everyone we will all begin to truly live the dictum that #AllLivesMatter
READ RESOURCES:
-
- Teaching for Black Lives, Edited By Dyan Watson, Jesse Hagopian, Wayne Au. Rethinking Schools.
- Black Lives Matter at School, the website of the national coalition organizing for racial justice in education.
- 2020 Curriculum Resource Guide, BlackLivesMatteratSchool.com
- Creating the Space to Talk about Race in Your School (PDF), National Education Association
- Lessons by grade-level and educator resources, Washington DC Black Lives Matter
- Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics With Students, NEA and Teaching Tolerance Webinar
- Free resources from the book “Teaching for Black Lives,” Rethinking Schools
- Diversity – The First Work is Within – Jane Fried
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/diversity-first-work-within-jane-fried - When You’re Done: Educate Yourself. This Doesn’t Go Away Once The Topic Isn’t, “Trending.” -Ways You Can Help BLM –
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. ” Mark Twain
Motivation 2020: May Peace, Love & Justice Prevail #blackoutday
Read the story below and contemplate it carefully. What is the lesson here?
The Two Travelers and the Farmer
A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.
“What sort of people live in the next town?” asked the stranger.
“What were the people like where you’ve come from?” replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.
“They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not one of them to be trusted. I’m happy to be leaving the scoundrels.”
“Is that so?” replied the old farmer. “Well, I’m afraid that you’ll find the same sort in the next town.
Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.
Sometime later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. “What sort of people live in the next town?” he asked.
“What were the people like where you’ve come from?” replied the farmer once again.
“They were the best people in the world. Hard-working, honest, and friendly. I’m sorry to be leaving them.”
“Fear not,” said the farmer. “You’ll find the same sort in the next town.”
READ/WATCH RESOURCES:
-
- An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter (VIDEO), Ted Talks
- NEA activists launch series of video “primers” for anti-racist white educators, NEA EdJustice
- Transformational action through Art Build, NEA EdJustice
- Share Art for Action, NEA EdJustice
- Grim – Do You Hear Us? (VIDEO), NEA YouTube Channel
- Marley Dias talks Institutional Racism (VIDEO), NEA YouTube Channel
- Black Lives Matter at School – Resources via edJustice
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for AMAY – JUNE 2020 are:
MAY
05/01 – 01 May Day, May is Mental Health Awareness Month
05/03 – 03 World Laughter Day/ Press Freedom Day, 05 Cinco De Mayo/ National Teacher Day/World Asthma Day, 06 National Nurses Day, 07 National Day of Prayer
05/10 – 10 Mother’s Day (US), 15 International Day of Families, 16 Armed Forces Day/International Day of Light
05/17 – 17 World Telecommunication and Information Day, 20 World Bee Day, 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, 23 Eid al Fitr Starts/Ramadan Ends/International Day to End Obstetric Fistula/World Turtle Day
05/24 – 24 National Brother Day, 25 Memorial Day, 28 Shavuot Starts, 29 International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 30 World MS Day/Shavuot ends, 31 World NO Tobacco Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
06/01 – 02 BLACKOUT DAY
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
More Below Read more…
“Memorial Day this year is especially important as we are reminded almost daily of the great sacrifices that the men and women of the Armed Services make to defend our way of life.” Robin Hayes
Motivation 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month & Memorial Day
Motivation 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month & Memorial Day
I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism. Bob Riley
Memorial Day isn’t just about honoring veterans, it’s honoring those who lost their lives. Veterans had the fortune of coming home. For us, that’s a reminder of when we come home we still have a responsibility to serve. It’s a continuation of service that honors our country and those who fell defending it. Pete Hegseth
A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle, and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. George William Curtis
On Memorial Day, I don’t want to only remember the combatants. There were also those who came out of the trenches as writers and poets, who started preaching peace, men, and women who have made this world a kinder place to live. Eric Burdon
Memorial Day & Mental Health Awareness Month: As we gather to celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, let us not forget that May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. This is very important to remember because even though Memorial Day honors members of our armed forces who died, many of our surviving Veterans came home and continue to come home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental health issues. Some remain paralyzed and/or damaged by the memories and impact of being in a war zone. Many who died, also left behind family and friends who struggle with mental health issues so the impact is universal. The global impact of the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on our collective mental health. Many are struggling. Depression, Insomnia, drug addiction, and suicides are up. How do we cope? How can we help? Throughout this post, we will offer tips and resources for those in need. Each year, the Mental Health America (MHA) organization chooses a theme to help us focus on issues that affect us all in the mental health arena. This year, they appropriately return to last year’s theme #4Mind4Body – “The #Tools2Thrive theme was chosen in “a time of unprecedented anxiety about a world pandemic, Mental Health America (MHA) today announced the start of its 2020 May is Mental Health Month campaign, with an emphasis on delivering “Tools 2 Thrive” to address the mental health needs of everyone” Wikipedia
Memorial Day: What do we know about it? On Memorial Day – we honor the brave men and women who served this great country and paid the ultimate price by giving their lives so we can live free. We honor and remember those who returned as survivors, witnesses, patriots, scarred. We honor all our servicemen/women around the world. Originally called Decoration Day, this special holiday began in response to the great loss of life during the American Civil War which, at its conclusion in 1865, had claimed the lives of over 620,000 men. In the early days, women would place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers. By 1868, Major General John A. Logan designated it as an official day of remembrance. In 1971, it became a federal holiday. In case you don’t know this, Memorial Day honors American servicemen/women who lost their lives at war while Veterans Day honors all who served; alive and otherwise.
On Memorial Day, we pause to honor and remember all the brave souls who paid the ultimate sacrifice – they gave up their lives so the rest of us can enjoy all the freedoms and advantages that come with living under a system that upholds the democratic process. Each casualty of war or MIA leaves behind loved ones, family members, and memories of what could have been… Their loved ones hold on to the hope that their death was pain-free, not in vain, or that the MIA status will one day change. It rarely does. Each Memorial Day becomes a harbinger of reminders of loved ones lost to wars. Of interest, the Tomb of the Unknown soldier now remains empty as recent DNA testing was able to resolve the mystery of bones buried there. They belonged to an air force pilot by the name of Lt Michael Joseph Blassie. He has since been reburied in his hometown.
READ: Motivation Mondays: Remember & Honor #MemorialDay
Insomnia in a pandemic
Motivation Mondays: Observing Memorial Day
Motivation Mondays: Honoring Memorial Day
In Flanders Fields By John McCrae – 1872-1918
In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.via poets.org
Decoration Day By Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
Sleep, comrades, sleep and rest
On this Field of the Grounded Arms,
Where foes no more molest,
Nor sentry’s shot alarms!
Ye have slept on the ground before,
And started to your feet
At the cannon’s sudden roar,
Or the drum’s redoubling beat.
But in this camp of Death
No sound your slumber breaks;
Here is no fevered breath,
No wound that bleeds and aches.
All is repose and peace,
Untrampled lies the sod;
The shouts of battle cease,
It is the Truce of God!
Rest, comrades, rest, and sleep!
The thoughts of men shall be
As sentinels to keep
Your rest from danger free.
Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers;
Yours has the suffering been,
The memory shall be ours. via hwlongfellow.org
“The problem with the stigma around mental health is really about the stories that we tell ourselves as a society. What is normal? That’s just a story that we tell ourselves.” Matthew Quick
Motivation 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month & Memorial Day
Motivation 2020: Mental Health Awareness Month & Memorial Day
What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation. Glenn Close
Mental health is often missing from public health debates even though it’s critical to well-being. Diane Abbott
Self-esteem is as important to our well-being as legs are to a table. It is essential for physical and mental health and happiness. Louise Hart
The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just! Abraham Lincoln
Some of the most comforting words in the universe are ‘me too.’ That moment when you find out that your struggle is also someone else’s struggle, that you’re not alone, and that others have been down the same road. Unknown
Mental Health Awareness: What do we know? Did you know that over 300 million people suffer from depression globally? And that it is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year olds? If you look around you or think about it carefully, you or someone you know has had a bout of depression over the years. Some are even diagnosed as clinically depressed and the treatment is long term. Given the current Covid19 pandemic, we can only imagine how much higher that number is going to be by the end of this year. The truth is that we are all the faces of mental illness which includes depression. It looks like YOU, ME, and EVERYONE out there and there is help. Of course, the sad part is that, quite often, we hide behind the stigma that is attached to this and every other form of mental illness when we should not. You did nothing wrong and it is NOT your fault. Like every other illness of the mind and body, we need support, information, and intervention.
How do we Cope with Mental Health Issues During this Pandemic? One sad side effect of the current Covid19 pandemic is the level of stress, depression, and sleeplessness it has created in a lot of people. There is an underlying current of anxiety that is showing up as disrupted sleep patterns. I’ve had my share of it and have to constantly remind myself that using calming tools, prayer, yoga, and meditation, long walks, and a couple of short naps during the day help me handle it. On Sunday, my pastor, Pastor Buddy of Northway Church, reminded us that being and staying present and enjoying the life we have now is important. Restful sleep is part of that equation. Even as we sort out our unemployment insurance issues, health matters, personal goals, and other demands, we must make room for rest/sleep/relaxation. It is imperative if we want to maintain optimum health and not fall ill or become depressed.
Yes, these are challenging times but we can find ways to help us keep stepping one foot in front of the other. I take a zoom restorative yoga class 3-4 days, walk 4-6 miles every day, dance, and take short naps throughout the day. I attend quite a few prayer groups/meditation events online and listen to uplifting music. Do I need more sleep? Probably and I am taking steps to help myself rest more. Pastor Buddy suggested 10 helpful tips to Get Good Sleep:- 1. Stick to a strict sleep schedule. 2. Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. 3. Avoid naps 
4. Adjust temperature. 5. Avoid alcohol and heavy meals. 6. Dim all lights 7. Only sleep in your bed not the living room sofa. 8. Make gradual adjustments. 9. Sleep on a good mattress. 10. Avoid all caffeine. Where are you struggling with on this list? I need fewer naps and more sleep.
Who do we reach for support? If according to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, we can offer pockets of hope by encouraging people to share information on resources available to our surviving servicemen/women and their loved ones. Support the efforts of those who are thriving and those who are struggling. Hope keeps survivors fighting to stay alive and comes in many forms; through grace, the kindness of people and opportunities to heal. Hope comes in the form of Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, TAPS, which was created in 1994 by Bonnie Carroll after the tragic death of her husband, Brig. Gen Tom Carroll, in a plane crash. TAPS offers a variety of resources to the loved ones/family of military staff. They provide comprehensive care including services and programs such as peer-based emotional support, casework assistance, crisis intervention, and grief and trauma resources. They give help, hope, and healing to families who have lost a loved one/family member. Their toll-free hotline is 1-800-509-TAPS (8277).
How can we be of help? For those battling depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and/or feeling suicidal, both Hopeline and AFSP – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provide great resources and immediate help to veterans and their families. Hopeline was started in 1998 by Reese Butler after the death of his wife, Kristin, by suicide. His goal has remained “to offer HOPE and the option to LIVE to those in the deepest emotional pain.” AFSP has been involved in several suicide prevention initiatives and provides groundbreaking research, educational campaigns, innovative demonstration projects, and important policy work. It advocates for policies and legislation at all levels of government bringing awareness and change to the subject of suicide prevention. The toll-free number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255) OR Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
READ: Motivation Mondays: World Health Day – Depression #LetsTalk
WHO: Handout on Depression
What I Know for Sure About Mental Illness By Oprah Winfrey
Motivation Mondays: Rejuvenation
Resilience practice By Alex Elle
look yourself in the eye
when you feel the most hurt, the most ashamed
and unworthy.
when you are barely
able to stand up
straight because the
pain runs deeper
than you are willing
to go.
and love yourself
entirely anyway.
Little Stones at My Window By Mario Benedetti
for roberto and adelaida
Once in a while
joy throws little stones at my window
it wants to let me know that it’s waiting for me
but today I’m calm
I’d almost say even-tempered
I’m going to keep anxiety locked up
and then lie flat on my back
which is an elegant and comfortable position
for receiving and believing news
who knows where I’ll be next
or when my story will be taken into account
who knows what advice I still might come up with
and what easy way out I’ll take not to follow it
don’t worry, I won’t gamble with an eviction
I won’t tattoo remembering with forgetting
there are many things left to say and suppress
and many grapes left to fill our mouths
don’t worry, I’m convinced
joy doesn’t need to throw any more little stones
I’m coming
I’m coming. via poets.org
The details for Motivation Mondays are below. Join in! The themes for APR – MAY 2020 are:
04/01 – 01 April Fool’s Day, Autism Awareness Month
04/05 – 05 Palm Sunday, 06 Int’l. Day of Sport for Devel. & Peace, 09 Holy Thursday/ Start of Passover, 10 Good Friday
04/12 – 12 Easter Sunday, 15 Jackie Robinson Day, 16 Passover (End), Nat’l. High Five Day, 17 Nat’l. Haiku Poetry Day
04/19 – 19 Bicycle Day, 21 Holocaust Remembrance of Slavery, 22 Earth Day, 24 Start of Ramadan/Arbor Day, 25 DNA Day/ World Malaria Day
04/26 – 26 World Intellectual Property Day, 28 World Day for Safety and Health at Work, 29 Duke Ellington Day/Int’l. Dance Day
MAY
05/01 – 01 May Day, May is Mental Health Awareness Month
05/03 – 03 World Laughter Day/ Press Freedom Day, 05 Cinco De Mayo/ National Teacher Day/World Asthma Day, 06 National Nurses Day, 07 National Day of Prayer
05/10 – 10 Mother’s Day (US), 15 International Day of Families, 16 Armed Forces Day/International Day of Light
05/17 – 17 World Telecommunication and Information Day, 20 World Bee Day, 21 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, 23 Eid al Fitr Starts/Ramadan Ends/International Day to End Obstetric Fistula/World Turtle Day
05/24 – 24 National Brother Day, 25 Memorial Day, 28 Shavuot Starts, 29 International Day of UN Peacekeepers, 30 World MS Day/Shavuot ends, 31 World NO Tobacco Day
Are You Looking for Ways to Stay Creative in 2019?
- Join Our Blog Support & Engagement Group
- Check out the Daily Post for Inspiration. Resources. Idea
- Checkout Your Daily Word Prompts
- Check out SheKnows for SheKnows Living
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