The Care Neighborhood

Happy Mental Health Monday!  Here’s a little post about overcoming addiction.  This is from my personal perspective, not meant as professional health advice. (For a different option, here is the National Institute on Drug Abuse approach.) I hope you find this caring and nonjudgmental.  Maybe it is helpful even if you aren’t specifically dealing with addiction, but simply striving to be your content and authentic self.
My perception is that every story of addiction is different. Using the Enneagram, I identify my personality as type 7- The Enthusiast, and that means I’m motivated by pain avoidance.  So in my perspective, the main plot is that a person feels bad and uses something to feel something other than that bad feeling. At some point the use can shift to abuse; in other words, the use hurts health - physical, mental / emotional, and/or relational. The use/abuse brings more bad feelings, and leads away from the life the person wants.  I’m using the word addiction to describe this…

Yesterday, July 11 was "Cheer up the Lonely Day."  I found this out while looking online for what do people celebrate in July.  It seems like any day can be a "DAY." And the national days range from profound to absurd.  I've heard of Umbrella Day, Pi Day, Star Wars Day, Talk like a Pirate Day, etc etc etc...

Anyhow, I was glad to learn that "Cheer up the Lonely Day" is a thing, because it seems like the kind of thing we need right now.  There are so many chances to be lonely.  Many of us are maintaining physical distance, limiting our in person gatherings, avoiding normalcy crowds, spending time on video meetings - holding a carefully crafted paying attention persona.  Many of us are grieving losses that provide chances to feel isolated.  Many of us experience fear and anxiety about the future.  I am wondering: What does life look like in this odd reality of an ongoing pandemic?  What kind of grief and loss is yet to come?

One of the main reasons The …

Hello Lovely Friends.  Happy July 1!  I hope you hold in your hearts love and acceptance all through the year.  I wanted to end The Care Neighborhood celebration of pride with affirmations.  These are statements to affirm who we are and how we love, to break down the transphobic and queerphobic messages we may have heard through our lives.

I'm grateful to everyone who supported Hearts of Pride, those who encouraged me, allowed me to share they're Pride celebrations and those who contributed affirmations.

Thank you to Saebyl, Emily, Rebecca, Marina, Christina, Andrew, Jo and Laura, Andrea, Patrick, Millie, Sam and Alyssa, Luchiana, Joanna of Hippie Witch and shout out to the Dream Team!, Danielle of Black Care Matters, the Community Renewal Society in Chicago, Tuck Woodstock of Gender Reveal Podcast, and Imara of Trans Lash Media. And a special thanks to my wife Allyson for the ways you love me and let me be free to be me.
Before you begin to read these affirmations, check-in w…

The Care Neighborhood a place for creativity, connection, and coziness
I mentioned in the Welcome post that I would share more about the neighborhood and me.  So here we go... My name is Mariela Janelle and I am the curator of The Care Neighborhood.  To be the curator means I gather components that make the neighborhood special and I oversee the community.

By "gather..." I mean highlight the resources that show up with the people who participate in the neighborhood.  That will be a mix of dream chasers, problem solvers, artistic and crafting types.  I'll facilitate space for meaning making rituals (like the recent Pet Blessing), collaborations on other projects, and host cozy virtual gatherings.  I'm picturing the aspects of a neighborhood that can translate to online space.  Neighborhoods include libraries, community centers, parks, spirituality groups, health and wellness facilities, fitness centers, local businesses, stores, gathering places - like bars and cafe…