This is one of my favorite-ever videos. Enjoy!
I’m Back!
Over the last two weeks, I’ve taken some time away from blogging — the first time in about 500 days of consecutive, daily posting. It feels like a big accomplishment to reach about 500 days in a row, but I also needed some time away.
November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and it’s probably my busiest work month of the year. It was also great! In that time, we hosted an event in West Michigan, did seizure first aid trainings, launched a social media campaign, and held our largest conference of the year.
And then I shared a lovely Thanksgiving with chosen family.
So it’s been a good whirlwind. And I’m glad to be back!
Here are some photos from my time near the Potomac River over the holiday:
Thanks for following along with me!
— Renee Roederer
Club Q: We Have Lost Entire Worlds
We have lost entire worlds.
We have lost a universe of sacred lives and loves.
The Talmud says it this way:
“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”
Perhaps we feel we are losing our breath and even our words to describe the horrific and enraging news.
At this moment, we know a particular set of numbers which begins to express some form of what happened – numbers of those who have died and those who are wounded. But the numbers can’t possibly express the loss. Those numbers represent neighbors, friends, siblings, children, partners, coworkers, heroes – sacred human lives with names, identities, stories, and personalities. Each one, particular. Each one, an entire world.
And in the wake of this news, more souls – whole worlds full – are wounded by the trauma of it all, feeling the grief of the countless connections that cannot accurately be enumerated.
We have lost entire worlds.
We have lost a universe of sacred lives and loves.
Perhaps we feel we are losing our breath and even our words to describe the horrific and enraging news.
And. . .
It makes me wonder what kind of universe we want to live in.
It makes me wonder what world we will fight for.
[1] This image is entitled, Fast Trip From Earth (Florida) To The Moon And Back. Stock Footage Video 109318 – Shutterstock.
Resetting the Nervous System
Today in Nature
You Matter
I hope you know that you are such a pleasure and worth so much goodness.
You Matter.
-Renee Roederer
Team Wordle
I’m an avid Wordle player. In fact, it is always the first thing I do upon waking each day. There are several people in my life with whom I exchange scores each day, but one group text has become especially fun.
Some members of Michigan Nones and Dones, a community I facilitate, have a group text entirely for the purpose of sharing our Wordle grids. And recently, we’ve morphed into a team of sorts. One of our members adds up our scores each day collectively, and we try to have a good day as a unit. Or occasionally, we try to beat our collective score.
I’m not sure we’re going to do that last part though because last week, 5 people on this group chat got a collective 14. How are we ever going to pull that off again?
It’s satisfying to take a small, daily, autonomous game and make it a team sport.
Well done, us!
-Renee Roederer
Values
Our values should determine how we hold our elected leaders accountable — all leaders, every party —
how we speak out,
what we say and do,
how we say yes and no,
what we support and challenge,
instead of our values constantly shifting and morphing,
instead of what-we-will-tolerate constantly shifting and morphing,
to fit, support, and justify that we voted for someone or a party.
We can hold them all accountable — publicly.
We should.
Our values determine how we do that. These people and parties don’t get to determine our values.
Sneak Attack!
Maybe we need something light and cute today.
Smuggling Grace 