Mario Monday: keepsake ornaments

It’s another @Hallmark #KeepsakeOrnament #MarioMonday! Today I unboxed my 2021 Caped Mario ornament and I love him! I was surprised by how much bigger he is than my previous #Mario ornaments (pic 3, from 2017-19). ❤️💙💛 #SuperMario #MarioCollectibles pic.twitter.com/v889fprmzQ

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 16, 2021

story of hope after a suicide attempt

Here’s an inspiring story of hope! Thanks to @ShannonParkin2 for sharing the highs and lows of life with depression and after your suicide attempt. Appreciation, too, to @SFreedenthal and @sspencerthomas for posting about it. https://t.co/xQNUdsOAJ5

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 15, 2021

creamsicle day choices!

#NationalCreamsicleDay! Which do you choose:
🔸classic #Creamsicle or
🔸#orangesherbet/vanilla combo?

Like most kids, Rader loved ice cream and popsicles. Not sure which he’d pick. Lucky me, I get to eat both! #summerflavors #frozentreats #chooseone #nowronganswers #lowstakes pic.twitter.com/YELnkjoxHh

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 14, 2021

moment of fishy zen

Stressed? Time for a #nature break! Volume up for the #thunderstorm and #birdsong accompanying my video of a #bigfish swimming slowly in the lake by our cabin. 🐟 #momentofzen #calm #soothing #justbreathe #naturetherapy #highlandsnc pic.twitter.com/849ee3u4Y6

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 13, 2021

no success without failure

“#Failure is a prerequisite for a meaningful life.” Ever feel like even when you succeed, it’s instantly overshadowed by another failure? Take a deep breath. It’s still ok. Failure is only temporary, and an opportunity for #growth. 🎨: https://t.co/meM21xA3RP pic.twitter.com/l9uMhktIMj

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 12, 2021

ease off the pressure!

Posting the reminder I need today, from @nikkimiles_. You’re not supposed to *know* everything, know how to *do* everything, know how to *fix* everything. ❤️💙💛 #bekind #nopressure #imperfection #doingourbest #slowprogress #gethelp #notalone pic.twitter.com/U68iRNjNnF

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 11, 2021

building up our social support systems

I’m an #introvert who values my alone time but I still occasionally struggle with #loneliness. @MentalHealthAm frames this as an internal nudge to strengthen my #support system! For more discussion and a corresponding #InTheOpen podcast episode, visit https://t.co/t3Lmk1uv1a. pic.twitter.com/ufBcgVX8Eh

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 10, 2021

Mario Monday: book lovers day!

Happy #BookLoversDay #MarioMonday! The #SuperMario #LittleGoldenBook pic is from my buddy at https://t.co/JInNUfyVaX. And I also had to repost the comics from @adriennehedger’s #HedgerHumor. I feel seen! Have you read any good books lately?
❤️💙💛 pic.twitter.com/YHO14P81Mg

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 9, 2021

look for the light

It’s the weekend and I hope you’ve been able to decompress and rest a little. These are hard times. Let’s keep looking for the light! 🎨: https://t.co/6YNKJ92JaH ❤️💙💛 #katieabey #moth #hope #inthistogether #itgetsbetter #dontgiveup #samehere #lookforward pic.twitter.com/MxkzO06RYc

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 8, 2021

not all good and that's ok

Not every day will be a #goodday and that’s ok. Each day — especially a challenging one — presents an opportunity for us to #learn and #grow. Take what you need; let the rest go. Thanks to Laura Jane Jones of @hellohappee. ❤️💙💛 pic.twitter.com/G3iQc5N69m

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 7, 2021

growing around grief

Here’s a wonderful @WhatsYourGrief blog post about the concept with several other illustrations of the #growingaroundgrief idea. See which illustration resonates the most for you. https://t.co/AVDgmiwGrf

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 6, 2021

let's root for each other

Here’s another great message I came across at https://t.co/bPdSOrF4bd: Let’s root for each other and watch each other grow! She said she was inspired by watching the #Olympics, with team members cheering on fellow athletes even when competing for the same medals. #community pic.twitter.com/9WcPC9SLwR

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 5, 2021

there are no stages of grief

Some of your most basic beliefs about #grief might not be true! You grieve because you love. Love changes but does not end. [A 3-part thread, with a link to Megan Devine’s excellent explanation at https://t.co/AAuHRRmgiN. 1/3] pic.twitter.com/btnm1ALYmi

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 4, 2021

#Grief is not an orderly progression. There is no way to do grief “wrong.” There is no “closure.” Grief is part of love, and love evolves. [Via @refugeingrief, 3/3] pic.twitter.com/fSS09jP2Bi

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 4, 2021

there's hope to be found in art

Thanks to my friend @DrKathrynGordon for sharing this beautiful true story of how encountering this work of art gave #hope to #BillMurray and saved his life when he was suicidal. (And for retweeting the excellent background info from @Todd_Spence.) https://t.co/6gRtyAEpDx pic.twitter.com/n4xldBIIZX

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 3, 2021

Mario Monday: show me the 'money'

It’s a @frankfordcandy @wonderballcandy #MarioMonday! We still have 4 #collectiblecoins to go in set1, but now set2 is in stores! I bought mine at @cvspharmacy; you can search by zip code on their website to see what stores near you have them. Our first set2 find was #Birdo! pic.twitter.com/J8i5zEtBof

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 2, 2021

celebrating my sister

Happy #SistersDay! Throwback to @AVLMardiGras 2012 when my sis and her beloved were king and queen, and married during the #MardiGrasParade! Long live my first best friend, #QueenTamra, and the love of her life, #KingHobbit. (And shout-out to our awesome dad, the #MadHatter.) pic.twitter.com/WQrCtVUiCs

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) August 1, 2021

how to avoid toxic positivity

Here’s a useful breakdown of #toxicpositivity vs. genuine #optimism from @crazyheadcomics. As a natural optimist I can tip over into toxic positivity if I’m not careful. I’m much more helpful to folks when I am #compassionate, #thoughful, and #empathetic. pic.twitter.com/LtL2NaPklj

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) July 31, 2021

bloom update: hoya carnosa

In the brown ceramic pot on the bottom tier is #pothos. The #hoya takes up tiers 2 and 3, and if you follow the trailing vine down to the right of the #jadeplant, you’ll see the #hoyablooms. #Croton, #aloe, #parlorpalm in the background. ❤️💙💛 #houseplants #FlowersOnFriday pic.twitter.com/C4RpBqx4F8

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) July 30, 2021

permission to prioritize your mental health

I love psychotherapist @DrCuwilliams’ posts. We can all learn from what she has to say about #SimoneBiles. “Give yourself permission to prioritize your #mentalhealth.” Read the full post at https://t.co/QlUUaYjHPy. ❤️💙💛 #mentalhealthmatters #protectyourpeace #drchinwewilliams pic.twitter.com/dHm6M6p8c2

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) July 29, 2021

art and dogs

Art and dogs! What could be better?

I have posted a couple of collages on my social media timeline; it’s one of my favorite art forms. The most recent one I shared was a collaboration between Instagrammers @punkcollages and @from.zainab (they’re great — check them both out). It reminded me how much I enjoy this kind of work, and that I would like to get back to doing it myself, although I haven’t yet.

The piece in the tweet below is a portrait of my first greyhound, BB, that I did at Fine Arts Center camp a couple years ago with @judy.verhoeven.art. BB is the subject, but the background is just as important. I collaged it from essays that 6-year-old Rader wrote at Montessori school about our new dog in 2008. Zoom in to see what he wrote and drew (also pics 2-4). You’ll be delighted. Our new greyhound, @catchmeifyoukansas, likes to steal and shred napkins and paper towels just as much as BB did.

I have been in a creative slump lately. I haven’t been writing or making art. My friend Natalie at @teengriefsucks suggested starting back by just journaling about my day. Today is as good as any, right? And I can start with what I’ve already written right here.

I’ve been in a creative slump lately, but here’s a #collage of my first #greyhound I made a couple years ago. In the background (and pics 3&4) you’ll see #Montessori school essays about “BB the dog” written by 6yo Rader. What do I need to do to get started creating again? pic.twitter.com/45A7LLV2FZ

— Rader Ward Foundation (@RaderWardFound) July 28, 2021