Sunday, December 30, 2012

let's talk more about mental health

This is an article written by mother of 13 year old boy who missed school the day of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.  She shares her opinion and story about why we should focus more on people's mental health and less on gun control.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Long walk. Part of gift.

I want to share a story I recently heard.

The story was about a child who gave a sea shell to his or her teacher as a gift.  The child's teacher accepted the shell and commented how beautiful the shell is and how it looked like something the child could have only gotten from a place far away from where they were.  The child said this was correct and told the teacher where it came from and named a beach far away.  The teacher said the child should not have gone all that way to get the shell as a gift.  The child said, "Long walk.  Part of gift".  The moral of the story was that during holiday seasons or when giving gifts, we often give physical gifts such as books, toys, clothes, etc. but to remember to look beyond those gifts at who gave them to us and remember that there are always family and friends who take long walks with us.  Those people who give us gifts when the gifts are gone, when the clothes are outgrown, or the books are read, or the toys are broken or passed on to others because they are also outgrown, those people are still there, they have made a commitment to take a "long walk" with us through life, stand by our side when we have loss, when we have gain, during happy and sad times, those people who given the gifts are really what giving is about, not just the gifts.   Hope you enjoyed this story like I did.

And always remember, "Long walk.  Part of gift".


Apple Fest Bag 1

A couple of years ago, some of our friends got a present for another friend and gave it to him in a gift bag that had a pretty neat concept.  The bag was intended to be used over and over again for gift giving, and when you received a gift in this bag, before you passed it along to someone else, you would go to the website, which was attached or provided somehow with the gift, and sign your name, when you received the gift, and location (possibly where you received the gift and where you live, if it's different).  This information gives everyone a sense of where the bag travels! :)

Over the course of my masters degree I have interned a lot at Hetlinger Developmental Services, Inc. in Emporia, KS.  I have worked with many clients developing art therapy for their individual needs and this coming semester will be doing my masters project with several people there.  We will be working on a large group mural.  I love Hetlinger.  Every Fall they have an Apple Fest where they sell apples.   The consumers (the adults with developmental disabilities who use their day services) pick and prepare the apples and sell other apple related goods.  This past September 2012, I went to the Apple Fest and purchased two small canvas bags decorated with apples.  I would like for the first one to be treated just as the bag that was given to my friend.

If you have received this apple bag with leaves on one side, and a big red apple on the other, please comment on this blog.  You can put your name or whatever username you identify with online as there are a few options when you leave a comment.  The option that you can just use your name, it will ask for a URL, but it will allow you to leave your comment with just your name.

When you comment, please include the location you received the gift bag and/or where you live, or if you were traveling while you received the gift.  It is up to you how detailed on location to be.  Also, please include the date (month) you get the bag if you do not comment around that time.  The blog will post a date if you comment at the time you receive it.

Please do not forget when passing on the bag with a gift, to pass on the url info of this blog! Thanks everyone :)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

thankful for you

If you are reading this, I am thankful for you.  Whether you stumbled upon my blog, or I sent you to this page intentionally, I am thankful, so please keep reading.  I have been contributing to this blog much more over the past year and I have really enjoyed it. I thank those of you who read it. And I am forever thankful for each person who has been part of my life to help me grow into the individual I am today. I could not have gotten to this point without the village who has helped raise me (and yes, I know that is part of an African proverb).  But it's so very true.  I am blessed with amazing genetics of two parents that bring me great health daily.  And though over the years I have faced challenges with my health, it really seems small when I look out into the world and see all that could possibly be. My health is great. I am thankful for the ongoing support and love of my family. I have an amazing significant other who stands beside me. I have made it this far being ME with support of family, extended family, friends, my partner, mentors, teachers, professors, educators, colleagues, classmates, supervisors, bosses, pets, and more.  I just finished my next to last semester of my master of science degree and I graduate this coming May 2013.  This is a new and exciting time for me as I begin to look for jobs this coming Spring and probably move somewhere new again.  I could not have done any of this without your care and support.  Thank you for being in my life! :)  Here's to my final semester of grad school and finding a job!