Did you know the WHO has a comprehensive, illustrated guide to stress management? It’s called Doing What Matters in Times of Stress, and even includes audio recordings of grounding exercises — meditations designed to help you focus on the present moment rather than spiraling into worries about the future.
Download the toolkit.
the pandemic grief support students need
Read the article from What’s Your Grief here.
addressing mental health in diverse communities
Here’s a link to watch the video.
how to check in on your friends
some kind of tired
Mario Monday: fishing!
let's keep talking about crying
let's talk about crying
letters to the southern baptist church
PLEASE go read these letters.
go outside for some sunshine!
I recently read this article from Outside magazine in Reader’s Digest. I’m a person who easily sunburns, so even though I enjoy the outdoors, I have always avoided exposure to direct sunlight as much as I could. The article argues that the benefits of sun exposure outweigh the relatively small risk of the deadliest skin cancers. I found it compelling; read for yourself.
And here’s an article that specifically addresses the “sunshine therapy” idea that early morning sunlight exposure helps you sleep better at night. If you Google something like “bright morning light sleep,” you’ll find links to studies about the phenomenon.
unapologetic guide to black mental health
Click the photo (or the link in the tweet) to read the book excerpt on BuzzFeed.
in memoriam: Kelly Bartlett Espinoza
Today we received the hard news of the death of someone special to our family, Kelly Bartlett Espinoza of Master Kim’s World Class Tae Kwon Do. Master Kelly was a key instructor when Rader and I were training to earn our black belts in tae kwon do.
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Master Kelly always had a warm smile and word of encouragement for everyone, and she embodied all the five tenets of tae kwon do, especially Indomitable Spirit. When I heard the news, I remembered this poem that was given to me when Rader died. It’s commonly attributed to Henry Van Dyke, but may have been written by Luther Beecher. Photo on Whiteside Mountain by @mattparker.art.
Gone From My Sight
I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze,
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch her until she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says: “There! She’s gone!”
Gone where? Gone from my sight – that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side,
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the place of her destination.
Her diminished size is in me, and not in her.
And just at the moment
when someone at my side says: “There! She’s gone!”
there are other eyes that are watching for her coming;
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
“There she comes!”
Mario Monday: Origami King!
It’s Mario Monday! Our biggest Mario news this week is the release of Paper Mario: the Origami King!
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We’ve been playing Paper Mario games for a while, going back to the 2007 Wii game, Super Paper Mario. Origami King is lots of fun. It’s a one-player game in that one person controls Mario, but the puzzle-solving battles definitely allow for collaboration!
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The second photo shows the pair of cute pins that came with pre-order. After that are some screenshots we have taken during gameplay.
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Playing Mario games now is always bittersweet. We feel close to Rader enjoying something he loved so much, but also sad that he’s missing the ways Nintendo and Mario are continuing to evolve over time. There are so many clever and goofy details in this game he really would have gotten a kick out of.
you are made of star stuff, too
legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell
further progress on 988 suicide hotline
watch the speaking grief doc now
The hour-long Speaking Grief documentary aired last night on Facebook Live, and it's available to watch now through the end of the month. It's followed by a panel discussion that includes some of the key participants in the making of the documentary. I’ve posted a trailer below.
For months I had been looking forward to seeing this show, and it did not disappoint. I recommend it to all, whether or not you've experienced the recent loss of a loved one. It's an insightful examination of how our culture handles grief and grieving (spoiler: not brilliantly), and how we can all do better.
Will it make you cry? It might; don't let that stop you. I found I was most moved by the illustration used at the beginning and end, in which we imagine what our world would be like if we could see how many of the people around us every day have suffered losses, and what a difference a little kindness makes. Overall I felt hopeful as the final credits rolled.
SPEAKING GRIEF is a public media initiative aimed at creating a more grief-aware society by validating the experience of grievers and helping to guide those who wish to support them. Learn more at https://speakinggrief.org
in memoriam: the great Grant Imahara
It was hard yesterday to hear about the death of MythBusters’ Grant Imahara. (Thank you to the super talented @chezforshire for allowing me to share this amazing portrait!)
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Our family time at home as the kids were growing up — things the four of us did together in the house — consisted primarily of Wii games and TV. Rader enjoyed some TV as a little kid, but after Phineas and Ferb, his last real favorite show, he didn’t choose to watch much else. The exception was MythBusters. It was a show we could all sit down on the couch and enjoy as a family. We probably saw most of the 250+ episodes that aired before Rader died. Hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, along with the build team — Grant, plus Tory Belleci and Kari Byron — brought such joy to their work, and we were so happy to go along for the ride! We couldn’t get enough of their entertaining and yes, educational, mix of pop culture, science, and engineering. I’m not exaggerating to say I still think about and practice things I learned from MythBusters daily. (The hygiene ones in particular come to mind. Handwashing: use soap! Close the lid to reduce overspray from a flushing toilet!)
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By all accounts, Grant was a delightful human being in addition to being a genius engineer and roboticist. I know his friends and loved ones are devastated. He’s gone too soon.
fresh mint chip for nat'l ice cream month
Worth celebrating: July is National Ice Cream Month! How are you keeping cool this summer? We brought out the ice cream churn and tried a new flavor: fresh mint chocolate chip! The fresh-picked mint leaves 🌱 in the recipe give it a much more complex flavor than making it with mint extract, and the mini chocolate chips are just perfect. Mmmm!