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On July 26th we recognize National Disability Independence Day.In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed, which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities as well as guaranteed access to education, transportation, and employment. 

It is important to recognize the people in our lives with visible and non-visible disabilities. We can do our part to offer support to those in our community. This could mean ensuring that your home and business can be accessed by those with different abilities.  Or planning events with friends that are welcoming to all levels of physical abilities.

Together we can take steps to break barriers and continue to create change for a more inclusive environment for all. 

Not only can we recognize people with disabilities, we can also embrace diversity in our society. 

For more resources, check out the links below. 

Celebrating “Inclusion Always, In All Ways” in July and Beyond

Disability Inclusion

Ideas for Celebrating the ADA

How to Talk to Kids About Disabilities

 

July 4th marks Independence Day.  This day first started in 1776 when the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence to make the American colonies free from Great Britain’s rule. 

In many ways this is a proud time in our history and there is a lot to celebrate. We can take pride in our accomplishments from that time and celebrate,  while also holding space for some of the discrepancies in freedom that occurred. The Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equal and were to be given the rights of “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  However, it became clear in the laws that were made that these pursuits did not apply to women, Native Americans or African Americans.  For a country that bills itself as a melting pot, we have not always been welcoming to immigrants or to those that are different. We still have a ways to go, but we can work together to continue to build an equitable future for all.

As attempts are made to take away rights and pass laws that will oppress certain groups, let’s remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “A threat to justice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.”

History has shown us that sometimes we do not recognize the threats to freedom or our roles in it, until we are too far in to do anything.

Martin Niemöller was a Lutheran pastor and theologian born in Germany in 1892. He was an anti-Communist and supported Hitler’s rise to power. After he came to power, Hitler insisted on the supremacy of the state over religion and Niemöller became disillusioned. He became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to Hitler. In 1937 he was arrested and confined in Sachsenhausen and Dachau. He wrote this poem recognizing his complicity in Hitler’s rise to power and the human rights atrocities that followed. (Wikipedia)

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

As you celebrate our great country this 4th of July, take a moment to reflect on the people in your community who might need your support and be sure you are speaking out for them.  Want more ideas for action you can take?  Check out the resources below.

 

 

How to help stop racism

LGTBQ Task Force

The Center for Reproductive Rights

7 Practical Ways to Help the Homeless

 

By: Chelsea Hauer

“Gratitude turns what we have, into enough.” (Aesop) This quote stuck out to me as I too want to transform my thinking in this fashion and to view the people and things in my life as “enough.” 

I want to take a moment to share what gratitude means to me: How I see it positively changing my life and the lives of others as well as how I implement “an attitude of gratitude” in my daily living by being grateful for even the smallest of things.

Robert A. Emmons book, The Psychology of Gratitude describes gratitude as an emotion.  He writes, “A distinguished emotions researcher recently commented that if a prize were given for the emotion most neglected by psychology, gratitude would surely be among the contenders.”  I wanted to know more and to learn how to implement this into my life. 

I started small by doing some research on the topic. The cruise control in my old trusty Ford Explorer would often go out on me and only work when it wanted to, much less than I wanted. I decided to start my gratitude practice. My cruise control was working as I headed to the highway towards home. I said to myself, “I’m grateful my cruise control is working” and later wrote about it on a gratitude list, a routine I also started. Initially it was a struggle to even list three gratitudes per day as I scoured my brain for events or things to be for which I felt grateful. Today my gratitude list is not difficult to complete and I often find myself with such overflowing feelings of gratitude that it turns into a full journal entry.

Gratitude for me was a practice, a little each day until it became a part of my automatic thinking. I now pause daily to think and write about what I am grateful for. You now often hear this in my spoken word. I tell people throughout my day how grateful I am for their help or service. I give thanks and share gratitude with my family as the day reaches an end. 

So why gratitude and how might it effect my happiness and health? Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs describes that we must meet the lower needs in the hierarchy before our higher needs can be met. As I have food, water, and rest, the next part of the hierarchy is the psychological and self-fulfillment needs. Here is where the real action happens for me, as I think gratitude plays a role in both my psychological and self-fulfillment needs. Throughout history, religious, theological, and philosophical treatise have viewed gratitude as integral to well-being (Emmons and Crumpler, 2000. Harpman, 2004).

Through incorporating a gratitude practice I am able to have more meaningful relationships. I feel better about myself, thus improving my self esteem and how I see myself in the world. Now for the highest in the hierarchy, self-fulfillment.  Here is where I am achieving my goals and living my life to the fullest potential. Here is where I am living a happy life, I see wealth all around me throughout my day as I am practicing gratitude. I am succeeding at my goals and reaching my potential. Through gratitude I have found a new way of thinking and living. I am grateful for the opportunity to write something to share with others, thank you for taking the time to read this, you are powerful and appreciated!

 

After hearing the devastating news from Uvalde about the shooting death of 19 fourth graders and their teachers, as well as the many other incidents of recent violence, it is clear that the United States is stunningly inept at protecting kids from gun violence.  In the US there are nearly 400 million firearms owned by citizens (almost half of all of the firearms in the world) and children are more likely to die from gun violence than any other high income country.  Additionally, guns are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the US.  

Hearing these stories and statistics can be very scary for children and parents alike.  Just hearing about it brings up an array of emotions including sadness for the victims, fears for your own and your children’s safety, anger and frustration about gun laws and the easy access to guns in the US,, and maybe grief or helplessness at what feels like an inability to do anything to create change on this issue.

Helping our kids process these complex emotions while still maintaining a sense of safety and confidence in their world is an important task in our current climate.  

In this article in Psychology Today called “How to Talk With Our Kids About Gun Violence,”  Dr Eugene Bersin MD, MA, provides helpful guidelines for talking to kids of all ages about gun violence.

Some ideas include:

• Control your own anxiety– it is ok and even helpful to share your sadness about the event.  But kids, especially young kids, will feel more distressed about their parents’ reactions than about the actual event.  

• Use self care measures to help yourself calm down (such as exercise, meditation, talking to other adults to get their perspective, and taking a break from the news).  You will be in a better position to talk to your kids about scary things if you feel calm yourself.
• Limit exposure to media about these events–This is healthier for everyone and important for younger children especially.  They should not watch coverage of the events, but if they have seen or heard things about it, allow them to talk about their emotions and ask questions.
• Expect repeat questions and concerns–This is how children process things.  

• • Be patient. 

• • Reassure them that they are safe.  We obviously cannot guarantee that nothing will happen, but statistically it is still unlikely.  Younger kids do not need to hear all of the statistics, nor would it have much meaning for them.  They do want to hear that the adults in their life are there for them.  And having a feeling of safety will benefit them more than going through the world always worried about the possible dangers
  • Remind them that there are many good people in the world.  Encourage to see the helpers and the people doing good things

• Talk about feelings of anger and how to manage it–introducing at a young age that it is okay to feel anger but we all need to be working on how we express it.  And that expressing it through violence is never a solution.
• Let them talk about their emotions and worries–do not judge or try to talk them out of these feelings.  Let them know it is okay to feel whatever they are feeling

• Talk to your kids about gun safety rules–Even if you do not have guns in your house, kids should still understand the safety rules about gun use, storage, and access.

Additionally, activities such as yoga and meditation can be very grounding for kids.  You can view our Movement and Mindfulness classes on our You Tube channel for either K-5th graders or for 6-12th graders.  If you are interested in a group or individual yoga or meditation class with one of our Wellness Center instructors, please contact us.

Check out these other resources below to learn more. 

How To Talk To Kids About Gun Violence

Supporting Families: Young Children and Gun Violence

What to say to kids about school shootings to ease their stress