In February I did Sharon Salzberg’s Real Happiness Meditation Challenge. Each day I would get an email introducing the day’s topic which also included a brief guided audio meditation. It was really great- just 10-15 minutes or less each day focusing on mindfulness. And the best thing about it: I asked Sharon via Twitter if she could provide a transcript- my hearing loss prevents me from being able to understand any audio guides. And she did! Thanks again Sharon!

I decided to participate in this challenge to help me through this funk I have been in lately. This past winter my parents died within two months of each other. I think most of us know our parents/older family members will die some day but no matter how cognizant we are of that fact, it seems as though one is never really ready when it actually happens. And the whole thing happened so quickly that I am still in disbelief.

And of course, Trump somehow got elected and turned my world upside down.

And THEN I injured my foot just this past Friday when I missed a step in an art museum. (what a metaphor- my foundation has disappeared!)

Digression: I was having the most lovely time with my son who had had the day off from school. We had just come from his student conference which he led from start to finish. Proud mama, I must say. It’s his last year at this school- he goes to middle school in the fall. Seems like this whole year is full of transitions…my daughter is also going to a new high school.

I spent the whole weekend icing and elevating my foot and it really made me slow down. I am usually racing from one thing to another- mostly in my mind- until I get overwhelmed by the sheer number of to-do’s I create for myself.

So there I am lying on the couch, surfing Facebook (ok, it’s not what I did ALL weekend- I actually finished a book!) – oh, some backstory here: I had noticed some time ago that a Facebook friend (a classmate from middle school) had started posting daily gratitudes. I would glance quickly at them–“oh, that’s cool. Let’s see what so and so is up to now”– but while I was stuck on the couch this weekend, I noticed she had posted her 60^th-something gratitude!

A light bulb sort of went off for me at that point. I had a flashback to my Peace Corps days when my morale was low and the rainy season prevented the mail from being delivered (my roommate and I really depended on that connection with our family and friends). I would draw upon my reserves of positivity and remind myself the rain was only temporary, we were having an amazing experience, I was making a difference, I had a cool boyfriend, etc. And I would feel grateful having had this unique opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps. That positive attitude has served me well up to this day but has definitely taken some hits in the past year.

Then really soon after that I was talking with a childhood friend who had lost her parents some years ago, about a) how time takes away the pain of grieving and b) remembering that they were such a positive part of her life.

And then I realized when you verbalize a gratitude, some of the positivity starts to seep back in. I notice it every week when my family does Friday night gratitudes at dinner time. We share what we are thankful for and what we are looking forward to. It really brings a certain lovely energy into the space.

So I am going to try and make time to write down my gratitudes every day for as long as I can. Here we go as a start:

I am grateful to have had parents who loved and supported me unconditionally throughout my life. (ok, this is making me a little teary, so I am not sure it is making me feel positive right now, but I know deep down it will in the end)

I really am fortunate because I work for an amazing organization that helps people become resilient by nourishing them and providing resources and connections with others via our food bank and resource center. Many of these people have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Research as shown that the greater the number of ACEs, the increased likelihood there will be negative outcomes in one’s life.

My parents were good people and were staunch advocates for me. Just knowing this on a cellular level only reinforces how I want to be with my own children and grandchildren: supportive, loving, nonjudgmental, generous, and welcoming.

So it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I have been preoccupied with lots of things lately, including my parents’ deaths, figuring out career stuff (I am currently in between jobs), volunteering on a few projects, helping my kids with school, life, etc.

One of my volunteer projects has been co-planning a retreat in 2019 for deaf folks like myself who rely on lipreading to understand what is being said. We grew up learning to listen and talk, rather than using sign. Some of us later learned sign language (I didn’t, although I did take one class in ASL long ago and soon realized there was no one to practice with, so my minimal signing skills all but disappeared).

My friend Robert, the other co-planner, and I decided to have a bit of fun making some videos for the retreat attendees. One video was about how we have known each other for 20 years and might end up killing each other trying to plan this retreat. Another video announced the date of the retreat, with some silly participation from our friends. Lots of expressive acting there. Robert and I plan on making a few more, just because it is So. Much. Fun.

When my family went on vacation this summer to the beach just south of Los Angeles,  my friend David came down to visit. David and I also go way back- we were pen pals in college. Like Robert, we have a few things in common: both of us are deaf and we have a wicked sense of humor.

David and I are always talking about all the embarrassing situations we find ourselves in because of our deafness. That’s the thing about hanging out with my deaf friends- they really get what it is like to be in my shoes. I knew David and I would have a blast making a video because we love to make fun of ourselves. We decided to film a few scenes where we sometimes encounter, ahem, misunderstandings, a.k.a. “deaf fails”. We enlisted the help of my kids to film, edit and caption the video. I honestly think I was an actress in a past life because I love doing this kind of thing! Hollywood, take notice!

Disclaimer: we made this video in less than an hour after much laughing and not enough rehearsing, so the quality is not the best. Enjoy!

I’ve been working hard on a few projects lately.

I left my job in 2017 and went back to school to get my certificate in nonprofit management. I felt pretty confident I would find a new job easily, considering my robust skill set in fund development, communications and program delivery. I found that the job search was taking longer than expected. Since I am so goal oriented, I knew I needed to focus on some kind of project to keep me energized, busy, and feeling like I was making a difference while job hunting. First I signed up to be a coach for Social Venture Partner’s Fast Pitch program. I got to listen to other inspiring organizations make a pitch for why people should invest in their program. Another coach and I also met weekly with Seattle Against Slavery, and helped its Executive Director refine his amazing story so that it was 5 minutes or less. He ended up winning first prize AND audience choice award, which was quite exciting. Check out his amazing story in the video below.

Then I volunteered for 501 Commons where I got to help another great organization, Pike Market Food Bank, develop protocols and systems for their volunteer program.

Job search still was taking a while. I exercised like crazy, met with a job support group, and dreamed about my next project. I ended up starting the Seattle-King County Cultural Accessibility Consortium which focuses on helping cultural arts institutions make their spaces, programs and events accessible to people with disabilities.  I got funding for three workshops from 4Culture and the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, put together a steering committee of passionate individuals, and developed relationships with cultural arts staff who wanted to make accessibility a reality in their organizations.

In spite of all these projects and doing a ton of networking in the community, nothing was panning out with jobs (a much longer story for some day).

So I decided to start consulting full-time and last month (September), I launched my consulting practice. My objective is to help organizations engage constituents, such as volunteers, donors, participants, and community partners, in the mission of the organization. My work focuses on Fund Development, Program Delivery, Communications and Community & Board Engagement. I also specialize in Accessibility- working with organizations to make their spaces, programs and events accessible to all. I help them integrate accessibility into strategic plans, websites, staff trainings, and marketing/outreach strategies. Check out my LinkedIn article on accessibility here.

So that’s what I have been doing this past year and am excited to see what emerges from the work. Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about my work in accessibility or my consulting services.