Being a Friend and Mentor, Bringing Hope to Developmentally Disabled and Elderly Persons

Joan Driedger Boldt

“Compassion is a verb.”

  Thích Nhất Hạnh

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

   Leo Buscaglia

     My first memory of Joan at work with her clients took place at the church we both were attending about seven years ago. She sat with two middle-aged adults near the back of the small sanctuary.  They were happy, and then they were curious, they were sad, and then they were hungry.  They forgot to modulate their voices for church, sometimes speaking quite loudly in tones unfamiliar to many of us. They made odd sounds.  Joan, never missing a beat, answered questions, got snacks, and took care of whatever needs arose, providing gentle and firm support to both of her clients, but never asking them to leave the room.  Later when questioned on whether it was wise to bring adults with developmental disabilities to our church, she said simply that they needed church, and also that church needed them.  I gave an inner cheer and have never stopped cheering for my dear friend as she joyfully goes about her daily work mindfully caring for a number of persons with disabilities of all types.

     Joan Driedger Boldt, who thinks of herself as “Just Joan,” was born on the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada and then raised six children while helping to run a 40 cow dairy and grain farm.  She is a trained social worker who finished her Bachelors degree as her children grew older, all the while homeschooling, actively farming, and being active in her community. After spending some time in voluntary service with the Mennonite community in Tucson, Joan discovered that she loved it here and returned, on her own, in 2006 to live permanently and make Tucson her home. She loves a lot of things about her Arizona home: dancing, doing anything in the brilliant desert sun, biking the length and breadth of Pima county, spending time with many friends and family, and lately entertaining an endless stream of "couch-surfers" people from around the globe who come to stay and enjoy Tucson from Joan's warm and comfortable home.  I've known Joan since the day she landed in Tucson and have always been struck by her generous open-hearted nature and particularly how she treats every person she meets with uncommon kindness and love, inviting one and all into her home, her life, her heart.

Joan and Felicia celebrating their May birthdays 2013

     Joan works now as a direct care-worker, a government term, which means, in her words, that “I get to have lots of fun interacting with people who have varying degrees of disabilities and needs.” Her work in this arena started out as a flexible job so she could travel to Canada regularly to see her young adult children and the teenagers who were attending boarding school there. But soon after beginning “I realized I had a gift with working with people one on one, and I saw that I could be a positive force in their life.  I received as much from them as I gave. It’s an extremely rare day that I wake up and don’t want to go to work” she said.

     She works primarily for two different agencies.  Southern Arizona Family Services (SAFS) which provides in-home support for those with physical and mental disabilities, as well as the elderly.  SAFS also provides a community based day program for it’s clients where they can participate in group activities along with their caregivers for enrichment and social experiences.    

     Zimmerman’s Personal Agents provides personal companions for elders who need assistance attending activities including but not limited to: dinner out, University of Arizona Basketball games, shopping excursions, the theater, the symphony, the opera, as well as doctor’s appointments and more.  Because many of these visits occur with hired transportation, Joan jokingly refers to this work as her “limo-ladies” and has developed long-term loving relationships with many older women as they share good times and laughter together experiencing the best of Tucson.

   Anyone who gets to know Joan very well will notice that she often has a client or two with her.  “One thing that is especially rewarding is that I can bring my ‘work’ with me” she said.  For example two of Joan’s long time clients who have come to feel like family for her and they frequently accompany her throughout town and on various errands. One client adores swimming so Joan will make the extra effort to take him to friends’ pools as often as possible.  Everyone love’s going out to eat so trips for doughnuts and coffee are a special treat and an added benefit is that her clients get to know the regulars there for special times of conversation and connection. Bowling, the zoo, many different restaurants, even a hockey game have been destinations for Joan and her clients. When doing respite care Joan will include her clients in dinner plans with friends and family, or even small parties with her other friends.  In her world, everyone is lovable, everyone has a place at her table, everyone makes a contribution.

    Joan at her Tucson home

 Joan also sponsors a weekly cooking class for the SAFS clients and caregivers in the day program at her home, which is respite certified by the state. One of her personal clients attend and up to 10 additional client/caregiver pairs attend as well. Each week one client chooses the menu. Quesadillas, Spaghetti, Enchiladas, Pizza are all popular but anything is possible.  The group meets before hand at a local grocery store and all participate in purchasing the meals ingredients. “We have a great time, it’s like a parade!” said Joan. The group then meets at her home and begins cooking.  For some clients this afternoon is simply an enriching activity, for others it is skill building for more independent living. Once a month delicious treats are created for those who have birthdays that month.

     Joan has been a strong voice at SAFS for creating, implementing and most importantly keeping the momentum going for fun and enriching programs for many clients there.  Zumba, a Latin dance based aerobics program, is wildly popular with the day program clientele and the wonderful teachers at Animas studios have been instrumental at energizing these students; Yoga had a shorter run but impacted several people in a positive way.  Joan feels it is important that every person have the opportunity for growth and enjoyment and does her best to encourage this both in her personal clients and those in the wider programs she works with.

     When I asked Joan to talk about some of the rewarding parts of being a care-worker she discussed the challenges of working with persons who were exhibiting difficult or inappropriate behaviors.  Often times it is easier to either give in or to remove a person who is acting out, something many of us have experienced as parents.  She feels that the more loving thing to do is to stay present with the person who is acting out and to hold them to a higher standard, to have higher expectations and to show faith that they are up to the task of "behaving like a lady or a gentleman."  When disappointments or failures occur as they sometimes do Joan gently helps her clients to "get back on the horse" so to speak so they can experience success. She recounted a number of stories to me in which a client faced her worse fears over great resistance, and then happily bragged about her victories for weeks afterwards.  It is not easy to take this path, but I have personally witnessed Joan following this approach many times and wondered at both her faith and her resilience. "It's our job as caregivers to find creative ways to help our clients get through periods of bad behavior so they can enjoy doing activities that enrich their lives" she says, noting that she relies heavily on the mothering skills she learned raising six children!

     When asked about the hard parts of her work she said that of course having clients that she adores die, in the case of her "limo-ladies" is very sad. Overall, though it's "hard, but good, life and work are all mixed up, and very integrated for me. I feel that this job is such a good fit for me. As a social worker I was trained to have very strict boundaries. This work is different, the boundaries are more fluid.  I have found that I relate best to people as a community member and as a friend. My parents were big picture people who created programs, dealt with governments, changed policies and tried to save the world in big ways. It has been hard for me to see that there were other ways to do good in the world.  I've come to realize I'm best at making the world a better place, one person at a time."

Thanks for being a light in the world Joan.

Please send your thoughts, comments, and stories.  Do you know someone that you would like to see highlighted here? Is there something you're thinking about that you would like to share?  I'm collecting letters and sometime in the future will do a "finding hope in your letters" blog. So please keep sending emails. We really can support each other in creating a hope-filled community based on kindness, generosity and peace.

Namaste,

Felicia





Links from this blog:
     

http://www.animascenter.com/

http://www.southernarizonafamilyservices.com/

https://www.couchsurfing.org/

Sharing Hope, One Bead at a Time

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared.

-Buddha

     I’ve been a yoga teacher for almost seven years now and it’s probably safe to say that I’ve had over a thousand students cross my path.  It’s also true that I rarely forget a face or a story, although the chances that I’ll remember a name are getting slimmer.  But there are those students whose presence in my life and heart becomes so powerful that I have to wonder who is the teacher and who is the student?   I met Michelle “Sue” Woodall at the University of Arizona (UA) Cancer Center the summer of 2009 in my yoga class for those touched by cancer.  Sue, who attended class faithfully with her friend Pat, had been diagnosed in 2007 with stage 4 lung cancer.  When diagnosed, she had a collapsed lung, and was told that she was terminal and there was no hope.  Because Sue was a feisty and positive person with a supportive and loving family as well as many friends at her side she chose to fight this diagnosis and try a relatively new treatment utilizing pinpoint radiation and was able to restore much of her lung function.  She continued to receive chemotherapy and went on with her life, getting the “all clear” in 2009 with very little non-metabolic cancer remaining.

      Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be a special kind of hell and those undergoing treatment not only cope with the disease, but also many side-effects that can often feel worse than the illness itself. Many patients spend one or more days a week at the cancer center some for many hours as they weave their way from doctor’s appointments to laboratory tests to the infusion room where chemotherapy is administered or to the radiation treatment areas. A patient’s companions and family members are also walking along side their loved ones on the seemingly endless road to healing and the days can be long.  Often depression, anxiety, and fear can accompany this journey.

     In 2010 Dr. Weiss, a physician at the cancer center, who knew of Sue’s beading interest, suggested that she start a beading project for the other patients.  She readily agreed but had no ideas, and no plan and more importantly, no funding. So, along with her daughter Connie Joslin, who was living nearby, she began showing up on Monday mornings from 9:00am-12:00pm with a box of her own beads and a willingness to serve.

     Sue had been a school- teacher for 40 years in the Amphi district middle-schools so she knew a few things about making things happen and also about wrangling people. Connie has reflected to me that this project was Sue’s “baby” that she loved it with a great passion and was able to use her greatest teaching skills in this setting.  The maintenance crew would set up a few tables and Connie and Sue would bring beads and tools, sit down and start beading.  When a patient or family member stopped by they would offer supplies, gentle encouragement, a listening ear, and a place to wait in-between chemotherapy treatments, doctor’s appointments, and radiation. 

      I sat with Connie and her friend Sue Barrett (“Sue B.”), also a cancer survivor, who participates weekly in the beading project, for a few delightful hours last week at their shared home to talk more about Sue’s beading project.  And I would like to share this with you now.  

     Initially Sue, Connie and Denise, Sue’s Daughter-in-law, bought, begged, and borrowed, beads for the project.  They began to scavenge for costume jewelry at garage sales, estate sales, second-hand stores and to contact friends for unused pieces. Connie says that she spent many hours at her kitchen table carefully taking pieces apart so that patients and their families could create one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry for themselves or their loved ones while they waited for treatment.

     Eventually UA established a budget for the Beading Project that has continued to grow in popularity.  Many people, both patients and they’re companions came to the beading table on a regular basis. “Beading can show them another part of themselves that is not defined by cancer, or by drugs, another part of themselves that is creative, beautiful, and can be enlightening” Said Connie.  Many patients, after developing some basic design skills, make gifts for their friends and family members.  Many folks will come to the beading table, start a project, go to their treatment or doctor’s appointment and then return later to finish their project. In the end though, it’s not just about the jewelry being created, it’s about relationships and building trust with others who know what you are going through, says Sue B., “Beading can create a change to bond with others who are going through similar things” and this can make all the difference.

      The project took a big hit, when Sue died in August of 2012.  Her lung cancer had resurged and not even this pure brightly lit soul could beat it.   It happened quickly and those of us left behind were stunned and heartbroken. It didn’t seem possible that one so filled with hope, optimism, love, kindness, joy, and peace could be taken.  Personally, I had experienced a true and unconditional love from Sue, the kind that we feel so rarely in this world.  Sue was one who helped me feel both lovable and worthy and I knew that she did this for every person that crossed her path. There is no greater legacy than this.  When she died there were a number of us, her friends and family, who felt desolate.  I, for one, did not want to continue teaching my yoga class without her laughing Buddha like presence.  However, at the memorial service we had for her, I could feel her pushing me from beyond.  At the next few classes a remarkable thing happened. New people who had never met Sue flooded into the class “This class has such a good feeling”,  “I heard about this class, a woman named Sue told me about it”, “Thank God you are here, I really need this class right now”, “The beading lady told me to come try yoga”.  We continued on, smiling beneath the tears, but knowing that our mission to support persons with cancer was needed more than ever.

     Meanwhile, the Beading Project also had it’s faltering moments without Sue’s leadership and was temporarily shut down while new volunteers became “official” in the eyes of the UMC organization, necessary, but not necessarily easy.  It was tough especially for Connie who was grieving her mom intensively.  But she knew it was important both for her own healing, and also for the patients and their families who had grown to depend on this Monday morning project. Connie was able to resurrect the Beading Project primarily with the help of Harriet Hutchins, who had been one of Sue’s dearest friends for over 35 years and states that she wouldn't have been able to do it without Harriet (pictured below).

 Although they were able to keep the beading doors open, the dedicated funding had ceased so they were back to searching high and low for any spare bead to keep the project afloat. But Connie, Harriet, Kris Meyer, Connie’s husband Tim, and a number of other’s felt it was important to honor Sue’s legacy and to serve the patients who would  continue to need love and care through their illness and treatment. 

     Why do people love this project so much that it has grown from one table and a few people to many tables and a veritable horde some weeks?  According to Connie, “Beading helps people take their minds off their treatment and everything they’re going through.  It gives them shared camaraderie.”  Sitting at the beading table can give a conversational opening that sitting in a waiting room chair wouldn’t.   “Beading can be a safe outlet for expressing what you’re going through, or even an escape.”

     Connie mentioned that when she shares time with those in treatment that she always emphasizes their healing, the present moment, and that she will see them next week.  I know that Connie would love to see you next week too. 

For more information on how to donate beads, money or your skill and expertise to the Beading Project please see the information below.

Have a wonderful hope-filled week,

Namaste,

Felicia

To Donate Beads, Beading Supplies, or Gifts of Money to the  UA Cancer Center Please:

1)   Drop off CLEARLY LABELED beads and supplies to the front desk of the cancer center for Beading Project,  Attention:  Lynn Barwick  If you are someone who loves to frequent thrift shops and garage sales, please keep this project in mind!

      University of Arizona Cancer Center

      3838 N. Campbell Avenue

      Tucson, AZ  85719

2)   To donate gifts of money to the Beading Project please send checks made out to Lynn Barwick with “Beading Project”  clearly written on the check, and include a note stating your intention for funds to be used for this project.

      Lynn Gransie Barwick, LCSW

Oncology Social Worker
University of Arizona Cancer Center
3838 N. Campbell Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85719
(520) 694-1855

3)   Send prepaid gift cards from Tucson area stores that sell beads and beading supplies, Michaels, Joann Crafts, and other retailers to Lynn Barwick, again noting clearly in your correspondence that these are intended to be used for the Beading Project. 

4)   Office Supplies are always needed too: Sharpies, plastic storage bins with lids, tape, etc. 

5)   Show up on a Monday morning to participate or find out more how you can help.  Ask for Connie Joslin, Sue Barrett, or Harriet Hutchins any Monday between 9:00am-12:00pm

All Creatures Great and Small, Making a Difference for the Innocent Ones

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”  Immanuel Kant

“The love of all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” 

Charles Darwin

     In my explorations both at home and abroad of what individuals are doing to make the world a better place I always find an abundance of people working with our animal friends, both wild and domestic.  This could be in part because of who I am, an animal lover through and through. One who seeks out those interactions on a daily basis and who will also plan an entire trip devoted to seeing and living with a particular species.  Boating with Gray Whales in Mexico?  I’m there.  Rubbing elbows with a thousand elephants in Africa? I’m your woman.  And in Tucson it’s no different.   Living with a dog, a cat, two snakes, and two horses gives me lots of juicy animal connection on a daily basis.   Residing in the bio-diverse Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona allows me to take in a plethora of wild creatures from exotic migrating humming-birds, rare bats, and ten species of rattlesnakes, as well as bobcats, coyotes, Javelina, jackrabbits, and too many rodent species to count. There is always the hope of seeing mountain lions and bear and ocelots and jaguars are returning to their former range after decades of extirpation. With this bounty of animal life comes a lot of joy.  But there is also great need.   Whenever humans and animals come together the potential for conflict arises in multitudinous ways.  We live in a throw-away society, and when a person decides they can't care for their dog, they take it to the pound.  Sometimes when they decide they can no longer care for their horse they set it loose in the desert to wander.  Wildlife on the urban edge have the unfortunate experiences of being run-over, killed or maimed by domestic animals, shot by home owners, or simply losing out on critical habitat necessary for basic survival.  Misunderstandings are rife and many animals end up sick, dead, or homeless.  
      I have been fortunate to volunteer throughout my life in wildlife rehab, with humane societies, horse related organizations, environmental organizations and have met many people who work tirelessly to make life a little better for the animals that call this region home. I want to focus on one such volunteer here today. She wishes to remain anonymous for several reasons, so I will call her Marie.

     Marie has lived in Tucson for 16 years and is a former professional musician from the east coast.   She has volunteered for fifteen years with a local therapeutic riding organization that utilizes horses to aid children with developmental disabilities and also helps veterans with various issues as they return from war.  She has donated many hours a week at local wildlife rehabilitation center for over seven years caring for large and small mammals and also raptors, and is now in her second year volunteering at an equine rescue organization that takes in horses that have been abandoned, abused, or saved from a horrible fate in the slaughter houses of Mexico.  

     When I asked Marie what her motivation for doing this difficult and sometimes thankless work was, she said, “Trying to help an unsung population. It’s not the usual stuff that people think of like the humane society, etc.  Horses and wildlife get sidelined.” We talked about how there was a lot of awareness around puppies and kitties but less around animals that need a greater level of care and that most people are hardly aware exist.  Caring for a herd of Javelina that is smelly, loud, and often dangerous, just isn’t as heart-warming as a box of puppies. “Sometimes animals are treated like commodities, but they are sentient beings. They care about their own lives.  They have pain, fear, loss, joy, playfulness and they have families.  They are like us.” And this attitude drives Marie to continue the work she does with rehab and rescue.

     I asked her if it was difficult to continue sometimes since there seemed to be a never-ending supply of injured, sick, and abandoned animals. She replied no, but it shouldn't be sugarcoated.  Working with animals who are fragile can be painful. She has experienced the loss of animals under her care.  Volunteering in this way is not all warm and fuzzy. As a volunteer in this capacity she has to be aware of the issues an animal has, be willing to get her hands dirty, and be willing to experience pain and loss.  “Sometimes, I just have to realize there was only so much I could do. I am learning how not to take it home with me and to second guess my decisions, how I could have done something differently.”    Marie told me a story of a hunter who had shot a female Jackrabbit (legally) and then realized she was pregnant.  He cut open her belly to deliver the kits and took them to the rehab center. Marie shared the job of tube-feeding the tiny infants. It is a painstaking task and requires nerves of steel, yet a soft touch.  Marie said, “I’m an impatient person but this experience has been my best teacher.”   

     When we work in a rescue environment we hear terrible stories.  We see animals that have experienced the unthinkable at the hands of our fellow humans.  Sometimes our grief is so large we can hardly see straight.   It is hard to go on. But the animals are there, waiting patiently looking at us with trust, and it seems like the least we can do, to go on, serving.  I ask Marie why she continues with this work in spite of the difficulties,  “When you successfully release an animal back to the wild or rehab an animal, or match a horse to a good adoptive home you can find healing yourself.  Sometimes it feels like ‘soul surgery’.   It can be life-changing and can give you a higher level of appreciation of nature’s miracles.”    Being with animals that are themselves vulnerable allows us to be vulnerable.  “We can learn life lessons with a being that doesn’t judge us or have any baggage.”

     I asked Marie to discuss the qualifications of a good rehabbing or rescue volunteer and the following qualities seemed important to her:

1)   Empathy with beings who have challenges to overcome.

2)    Willingness to learn on the job, beginning by observing, then being mentored by others who know more. 

3)   Being willing to get your hands dirty.  A lot of animal rescue/rehab work is not fuzzy/warm hands on, but a lot poop-scooping, thawing out food, and general “grunt” work, but all absolutely essential.

4)   Look at the big picture.  Your presence may improve a precious being’s quality of life.

Marie’s life and work effectively illustrate the Buddhist idea of Ahimsa:  the belief in the sacredness of all living creatures and urging the avoidance of harm and violence. She lives her entire life from this philosophy and is someone who walks her talk and does her best to make a difference, one day at a time. I am grateful for her contribution.  Marie is one person, providing hope to many animals in Tucson.  Thank you so much!

     If you would like to get involved with animals in need in your area the Humane Society is usually a good resource for rehabs and rescues of all kinds.  And locally in Tucson I am providing links to several non-profits here.    I will be featuring H.E.A.R.T. (Happy Equine Acres Rescue of Tucson) here on another date, and can vouch for them as I volunteer for them regularly and hope to be adopting a horse soon!  This list is only a beginning.  Our world is filled with animals in need, and you can make a difference with your time or your donation.

Namaste,

Felicia

“Because the heart beats under a covering of hair, of fur, feathers, or wings, it is, for that reason, to be of no account?”  

Jean Paul Richter

Organization Links:

http://www.trotarizona.org/

Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, always in need of volunteers and donations.

http://www.heartoftucson.org/

Happy Equine Acres Rescue of Tucson, always in need of volunteers and donations.

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_rehab_relo.shtml

List of Wildlife Rehabbers in Arizona who might welcome you as a volunteer.

Thinking Less, Doing More

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love” Mother Teresa

     After launching this blog last week I was pleased with the initial response.  It was heartening to see that many were reading, considering and cheering on this new project that is becoming more meaningful to me every day.  With each new email, contact, comment, and phone call I have the opportunity to refine my purpose, and to reflect more thoroughly on my mission.  And I remind myself daily to “ask a better question.”  

     How can we live in this increasingly chaotic and confusing world where we seem to be connected with everyone, everything, and every world tragedy by a single computer keystroke, yet feel more isolated than ever?  How can we know what we know about the world’s many problems and not get bogged down in apathy and despair? How can we instead find more meaningful and even nourishing ways of connecting with each other and possibly creating positive change in our own small spheres?  

     As I’ve spoken to people about being featured in this blog I hear a recurrent theme of not being good enough, not able to do enough, and being unsure of having a light focused on what small things they are doing. “Why don’t you interview so and so?  She’s doing so much more than I am.” Or “You really need to talk to that person, he’s the real powerhouse in the community.”  What I envision for this project is to celebrate what the average, ordinary person is able to do. The person who is you, who is me, who is your next- door neighbor, and who is also the stranger you will never meet. All doing things that someone else would likely be pretty darn impressed with!

     When we consider what or who makes a difference in our lives, in profound ways, chances are it is not an organization with a multi-million dollar budget and a large staff with a recently redesigned logo.  Chances are it is someone who took the time to sit, look into your eyes, and carefully listen while you talked, during the time of your deep personal struggle.   It might be someone who made it possible for you to keep your utilities connected. Or it could be that patient loving person who volunteered in your child’s school week after week.  It might be the person who sent care packages to your nephew when they were serving in the military. Or the one sat with your family member in the hospital as part of a volunteer chaplain program. I believe we have all received love and care from the hands and hearts of strangers and also that we are all capable of giving that same love and care to others.  Let’s celebrate our stories here!

     One such story I would like to share here is an email from my sister-in-law Josie Lowery. I have known Josie for a relatively short time and because she lives far away and our paths have seldom crossed our journey as friends and sisters has been slow but deep and I have grown to appreciate her wisdom, her feistiness and also her quiet strength in dealing with chronic pain in the wake of a serious motorcycle accident four years ago, shortly after meeting my brother.  Josie’s life was changed in enormous ways in the wake of this accident and I didn’t realize quite how much until receiving this note in response to Finding Hope several days ago:

“This is awesome Felicia,

I love the strong powerful voice you have. Look what an impact you can make! And you are right. We have the power to make that change in the world, one home, one blog, one connection at a time. My old thinking was always on the grand corporate scale, and it doesn't have to be to make a difference.

You spoke of so many things briefly that were ah ha moments for me and many people I think.

Leaving Microsoft after this accident turned my world upside down. Everything that I was is now opposite. Loud to quiet. Hard to soft. Extrovert to introvert. Losing a lot of my vision as an artist in a digital world has limited my connecting ability. I think it’s gutsy for you to put up a blog.  Was it scary, thrilling or both to hit the publish button and go live?  

Seriously, it would be easy to be depressed over everything that has happened since the accident.  I've cycled through all the stages of grief and anger and even added a few more.

Then I surrendered.

I was reborn a child. I felt light. I took it literally and wore pale colors instead of my old uniform of black clothing and dark nail polish. Instead of thinking, I feel. My body decides what direction I take. Sometimes I am unsure why a direction is needed, but my body always protects me.

It knows I need compartments. Physical pain is as real as emotional pain maybe more for those with PTSD. As a protection device, my body sends me on missions when I need to stop thinking which creates emotional pain spirals.

Now that I’m coming to terms with the idea, I can’t be fixed, at least for now, I want to manage chronic pain cycles better. My body has created compartments. We use my talents for good when I need to protect my brain and stop thinking.

I've always been a humanitarian and helping others makes me feel good.  In the past I was used to regularly making a big difference for many people.  Now I can spend time with one person at a time, for example sharing art with a child, or sitting with a widow who is lonely or sad.  I find I can use my skills and experiences in different ways than before.

This is what we call a win-win. Good endorphins offset pain, I enrich someone's life, and my body kept my mind focused on the positive.  All of these help me manage pain cycles better.

So, my body has a plan and I'm just along for the ride.

Signed,

Thinking less, doing more

Thank you Josie for gifting the world with your compassion and love every day and for being a model of “thinking less and doing more.”

Let’s have a conversation with each other, here on the blog, or send me your ideas for individuals or organizations that you would like to see spotlighted here. 

Namaste,

Felicia