The View from a Drawbridge

Tag: support

  • When Someone Has a Sad

    Many years ago, I came across a woman who was crying. I didn’t know her. I didn’t know the reason for her tears. It didn’t really matter. I just knew she was sad, so I gave her a hug. Sometimes you just need a hug. She clung to me like I was a life raft…

  • Support Libraries. Support Reading. And Do Me a Solid.

    At a time in our history when ignorance seems to be winning, when public education is under threat, and when people are increasingly afraid of fake news but seemingly unwilling to take steps to find reliable sources of information, it is extremely important that we support our public libraries. Libraries are under constant threat of…

  • Creative Expressions of Grief

    I had the distinct honor of participating in a reception for The Healing Center the other day. It’s a grief support community here in Seattle that is a welcoming and safe place to express your feelings of loss. They have been wonderfully helpful and understanding to me. The reception, which is held annually, is called…

  • My Daily Homework

    Okay, I’ve had it. I’ve decided that I have to do more. I have to speak up and speak out, because this country is circling the drain. So I’ve assigned myself some daily homework. First, I Googled my US Representative and my two Senators for my particular zip code. I wrote down their names and…

  • Daily Affirmations for a True Friend

    A dear friend of mine is about to move thousands of miles away from me. She has been a steady source of support since the day we met. She’s my champion. She has my back. I can always count on her to keep her promises and provide pep talks when needed. She doesn’t judge me.…

  • Why Is This One Different?

    I have been hearing a lot of people saying that those of us who didn’t vote for Trump need to “get over it,” “quit our whining,” and “move on”. It’s not the first time my person didn’t win. I mean, I’ve lived through Reagan and both of the Bushes, after all. And I did, in…

  • The Safety Pin Movement

    When I posted the following image on my Facebook page and announced that I’d be wearing the safety pin for the next four years, one person responded, “You can’t be serious! This is so childish.” That really confused me. I don’t consider this a political act. I don’t understand how wanting to give people comfort…

  • Thanks, Crappy Dad!

    I was commiserating the other day with someone about what horrible, toxic, deadbeat and emotionally unsupportive fathers we each have. I was wondering how much farther ahead we’d both be if we had grown up with men in our lives who encouraged us and made us feel safe and loved. I can’t even imagine what…

  • Lack vs. Abundance

    There is an interesting human spectrum that tells you a great deal about people. I call it the generosity spectrum. But it also has a great deal to do with trust, confidence, kindness, and a sense of karma. At one extreme, you have people who are so wide open that they put themselves at risk.…

  • Women of Character

    Looking back at my mother’s life from an adult perspective often renders me speechless. When she was 17 her father died, which plunged her family into poverty. I honestly think she got married just to get out of that overcrowded, depressing little house. By the time I came along she was in the process of…