The Struggle is Real
and we're here to help THIS MONDAY!!
The struggle is real! If you’re not living under a rock, which I am strongly considering, you are struggling right now. The world is a challenging place. This week has been a lot for our fledgling democracy and a lot for my heart/mental/emotional health. Is your heart hurting and your anxiety high? You’re not alone. Our friend and badass activist and author, Lauren Oertel, is going to be helping us on Monday with our anxiety and bringing calm into our lives. We will even have some fun along the way.
I’m currently writing this while listening to birds in my backyard sing. I need their songs today to remind me that beauty will always be present, no matter what. It is an absolute cacophony…. but only if I pay attention. It is easy to ignore their songs and get stuck in the doom scroll but I am making a concerted effort to listen. I have Blue Jays, Crows, Cardinals, Carolina Wrens, and Carolina Chickadees providing a sound bath while I write. How fortunate am I?!
While I was home sick with Covid (I’m fine now), my dear friend was sick with worry about her child at school where a shooter took aim at teachers and children. Her son is physically unharmed but my friend, her family, friends, and community will be healing for a long time to come. We all hugged our loved ones tighter and with more attention than usual. Why do I mention this? It is now part of my story. One of the stories is the teacher who literally ran out of her shoes in an effort to protect the children in her care…the stories of the siblings who looked out for one another who had just been arguing about banal things earlier in the morning. The stories matter.
In the onslaught of daily news – some hitting closer to home than others – we must take care to nurture ourselves and pay attention to the stories we tell ourselves. It is revolutionary to tend our souls in the midst of what is happening right now. Every moment we tend, we deepen the well from which we can draw. Activists like action – it’s in the name! But nurturing is every bit as important so we can keep being activists each in our own way.
Guess what? We are providing you an opportunity to do just that! Lauren Oertel, will be leading us THIS COMING MONDAY in a wonderful writing workshop. Some of you may already know Lauren Oertel through her previous role at Indivisible or in other community spaces. She is a writer, editor, organizer, and certified AWA workshop facilitator. On September 22nd, she will lead us in a "Campfire Stories" workshop where we'll dig into storytelling and how it connects to our activism work. This workshop will introduce the Djembe Deck as a helpful tool for connecting and sharing stories that inspire change.
The stories we share, and the tales we tell ourselves, they matter. Framing them correctly can prevent anxiety for ourselves and those doing the work with us. This yet another creative look at activist care, so mark your calendars now. Set aside an hour for yourself to enjoy a fun evening of self-care, storytelling, learning, and laughter. Sign up now and feel free to invite a friend, or two. We’d love to see you!
We can’t wait to spend time with her and with you. And it’s FREE!!!
Illustration by Andy J. Pizza