“The plague of racism is insidious, entering into our minds as smoothly and quietly and invisibly as floating airborne microbes enter into our bodies to find lifelong purchase in our bloodstreams.” ~ Maya Angelou Our Felician values call for the pursuit of justice and peace, respecting the dignity of all persons, and solidarity with the poor. We are called to act with compassion and support positive transformation. There is no room for prejudice in our mission. The world is hurting. Our cities bleed from age old wounds, clumsily bandaged, and reopened by fresh injury. Pain is heaped upon pain, until the citizens cry out, “Stop! No more! We cannot endure it any longer.” As protests have swept across our nation, and throughout the world, many hearts have felt anger, sadness, and frustration. “In these days of unrest, where do you find possibility? In these days of fury, where do you find grace? In these days of blame, where do you find mercy?” ~ Rev. Diane Smit...

by Debbie Vallandingham, LMSW-ACSW The popular musical Hamilton tells the tale of the dynamic life of Alexander Hamilton with a hip-hop beat. Fittingly, it ends with Hamilton’s widow, Eliza who provides the audience with the lasting context of their lives, ending with the well-known song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story.” In the world today, while funerals are often a part of the telling of a person’s story, so is the old tradition of the obituary. Far from a new invention, people have been recording deaths since ancient times.  In Rome, before the birth of Christ, daily records were collected in an ancient equivalent of a whiteboard called an “album.” This ancient version of Facebook provided the notice of births, marriages, and deaths.   Fast forward to the 1600s and you will find a similar record of the life and death of aristocrats in the newsbooks of Great Britain, the precursors to modern newspapers. In the 1800s, the modern notion of obituaries made the...

by Heather Dean, MT-BC If you are wondering which apps or sites are appropriate for your child’s age range, Common Sense Media is a great site. I also use this myself with my own kids to check which movies are appropriate. (Nope, I am "no fun" say my teenage boys.) Games: This is for iOS, but soon for android devices. A little intense, it may be better for the older kids. This looks so fun for younger children — great exercise, plus working on attention and focus.  https://www.gonoodle.com/ I like the idea of music-based games because I would rather our kids engage and focus on music rather than anything violent. Music Learning: I used this site when I was a piano teacher. Kids loved it. There are free games, but you need the correct Adobe Flash plugin.  http://www.musiclearningcommunity.com/ I LOVE YouTube for lessons (shhh…don’t tell music teachers). Of course, it is always better to have a personal teacher, but in the meanwhile th...

Episode 1 Tips for Talking to Children About the Coronavirus Episode 2 Mason Jar Memories Episode 3 Sara Reads a Story Episode 4 Invisible String Activity Episode 5 Stay-at-Home Activities & Resources You can also check out our video series for adults, Closing the Distance: Moments of Connection During COVID-19 .

The support of our community friends has meant so much to us during this challenging time. We've all been coping with changes and anxieties, but the acts of kindness we've been witness to are truly heartening. We wanted to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU! Doubtless there will be some names omitted here — not for lack of appreciation, but rather due to the flurry of activity as we've all worked to adapt to the "new normal."  But to all who have shown your support for our mission and our team, please know you have truly helped lighten the burden during this difficult time. To those who have shared kind words, good needs, generous gifts, and comforting prayers, please know how deeply grateful we are for you. Donated Meals and Snacks for our Staff The VanValkenburgh family donated dinners from Genitti's Hole-in-the-Wall for our team members. The Busard Family Cork and Gabel Restaurant - Matt McGrail & Lucas, Joe Mifsud Kimberly Ead...

by Heather Dean, MT-BC The World’s Most Relaxing Film: You know what? I think it might be! At the end check your pulse and be mindful of your breathing. I did and it turned out my heart rate had synchronized with the beat of the music. This is called entrainment — it is a biological phenomenon when our heart rate synchronizes with music. It is a great way to unwind or even energize yourself when trying to get motivated with more up tempo music. Soooo many beautiful sea creatures. There are many videos on YouTube like these. Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any of these videos that make claims of guaranteed relaxation or binaural beats as the answer to relaxation — so much of this is subjective and not grounded in research. It entirely has to do with what you enjoy and find peaceful.  Music Guided Relaxation: These are short but sweet videos. I am in no way a meditation expert, but I do love these videos. I'm not endorsing any of these videos as a prescription, jus...