I really love this and our ability to be there for others we may have never met and/or whom society deems a lost cause. His work is very inspiring to me.
Love this, thank you.
“You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.”
- Julian Seifter
I feel like this is the only appropriate thread to share something with you:
Several months ago, I was able to reach out to distant cousins I never knew existed because of Ancestry.
I even got a hold of my aunt who I haven’t talked to since I was a toddler. I was very excited. There was a lot of drama between everyone but I pushed it aside.
She said she’s in contact with my biological father and I told her - and others - not to give out my information or number due to safety concerns from my biological father.
Next thing I know, my biological father called me, followed by my sister right afterwards. I felt totally betrayed. I immediately blocked them on social media and on my phone.
Speaking of which, I just received a text message and voicemail from a family member telling me that there’s going to be a family reunion soon. I refuse to contact her back because my mental health comes first, and I make absolutely no apologies for it .
This reminds me of Talking Sober. Helping each other.
"Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.
But no. Mead said that the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, if you break your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.
A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound, has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts, Mead said."
Ira Byock
“We are at our best when we serve others. Be civilized.”