Happy Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day. Today is a day to celebrate Love. And love can look like a lot of things not just the traditionally romantic love. I have written a collection of 7 poems which explores this complexity of Love. Note: The 7 poems are loosely based on the 7 chakras.

Love Part 1 of 7

Our cores are Love

Love is at the deep center

We are beings of Love

Love is at the root of everything

No matter what we look like

No matter our mental health wellness

No matter if anyone else can see it

Love is at the root of everything

We are beings of Love

Love is at the deep center

Our cores are Love

Love Part 2 of 7

Creative Love, Intimate Love

Love across times and multiverses

Fictional and historical and real

All join together to encourage us

Encouragement soaked in Love

Creative Love, Intimate Love

Love across times and multiverses

Love Part 3 of 7

Love is knowing you rock

Love is knowing you got this

Love is knowing you are amazing

Love is showing yourself grace

Love is showing yourself kindness

Love is showing yourself you are doing your best

Love is doing self care

Love is doing self expression

Love is doing self exploration creatively

Love Part 4 of 7

Find Love in Relationships

Relationships with people

Relationships with characters

Relationships with ideas and dreams

Find Love in Relationships

Relationships with our bodies

Relationships with our minds

Relationships with our souls

Find Love in Relationships

Relationships with time and history, and Gods

Relationships with space and the multiverse

Relationships with stars, and skies, and seas

Find Love in Relationships

Love Part 5 of 7

Love your story

Love your history

Love your voice

Your story matters

Your history matters

Your voice matters

A story of Love

A history of Love

A voice of Love

Your story matters

Your history matters

Your voice matters

Love your story

Love your history

Love your voice

Love Part 6 of 7

There are more types of Love

Than included in your philosophy

Affectionate Love and Enduring Love

Familiar Love and Romantic Love

Playful Love and Obsessive Love

Self Love and Selfless Love Too

This is a season of Love, All Loves

Celebrate Love in all its forms

Love Part 7 of 7

You are Beloved, You are Loved

No matter your struggles

No matter your Loves

No matter your dreams

You are Beloved, You are Loved

No matter things present or things to come

No matter powers, or height, or depth

No matter anything in creation

You are Beloved, You are Loved

The Gods say

The Goddesses say

The Spirits say

You are Beloved, You are Loved

Lunar New Year

 

Happy Lunar New Year 2021: The Year Of The Ox

The Mythological Roots Of The Year of The Ox: 

While for many people in the west the animals chosen for the Chinese zodiac and the order of those animals might seem arbitrary, in areas where the Lunar New Year is celebrated there is some really cool mythology and it comes down to a great race.

The Ox was supposed to be first

The ox is the second animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle, but it should have been the first. The reason for this comes from the mythological tale of the Great Race.

This story tells how the Jade Emperor, one of the most important Taoist gods, held a race where the first 12 winners would be chosen as the royal guard. The winners of this race ended up as the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac in the order that they finished.

The rat was initially in the lead but was unable to cross the river, so it tricked the ox into giving it a ride. It stayed on the ox’s back all the way to the finish, but then the rodent jumped down and scampered to the emperor first.

As a result, the rat became the first animal in the cycle, with the ox relegated to second.

The Meaning Of The Year Of The Ox:

The year of the Ox is believed to be a time when hard work (like the work done by an Ox) will be rewarded more than usual and is considered a good time to work extra hard on projects in our lives.

Also unlike the Year of the Rat which is traditionally a year of turbulence in which change and disasters are commonplace The Year of the Ox is traditionally a calm, stable, and economically prosperous one. This is good news considering the 2020 we all have experienced.

How The Lunar New Year Is Celebrated?

Traditionally, New Year’s eve and New Year’s day are reserved for family celebrations, including religious ceremonies honouring ancestors. Also on New Year’s day, family members receive red envelopes (lai see) containing small amounts of money. Dances and fireworks are prevalent throughout the holidays, culminating in the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the last day of the New Year’s celebrations. On this night colourful lanterns light up the houses, and traditional foods such as yuanxiao (sticky rice balls that symbolize family unity), fagao (prosperity cake), and yusheng (raw fish and vegetable salad) are served.

8 Ways To Celebrating Virtually This Year 

Saturday Feb 13th

Pasadena’s Pacific Asia Museum is hosting an afternoon of online activities, including streams of lion dances and performances, as well as craft workshops.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles is hosting its annual Golden Lunar New Year Parade virtually. It’s the longest-running Lunar New Year parade outside of China, starting in the late 1800s.

Lunar New Year Festival at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art  is an free 12-hour pre-recorded broadcast on February 13 from 10am EST through 10pm EST. (some videos will be available on the 12th as well). From art making classes to online performances, puppet shows and talks, there are a whole lot of activities to browse through. 

Multiple Dates

Sunday Feb. 14 and Feb. 28: The Bowers Museum is having a virtual family festival for Chinese New Year. There will be performances, a recipe and an art project.

Asia Society's virtual celebration: Learn how to make an Ox hat and dumplings or, perhaps, revel in a traditional lion dance when celebrating with the Asia Society. The festival is free and open to the public, with new content released on February 12, 13, 19 and 26.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Chinese Cultural Institute and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America join forces in celebrating the Year of the Ox online. Attendees will be able to stream video performances and demonstrations of traditional Chinese crafts

Lunar New Year family festival with the Museum of Chinese in America runs from February 11 through February 19, all members of your family will delight in the museum's roster of events, which include arts and crafts sessions, author meet and greets, noodle history videos, talks and more. 

Year of the Golden Ox with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, kicking off on February 11, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company's celebrations will include traditional Chinese dances, a folk ensemble and much more. 

Creators stop being abusive and toxic

Creators Stop Being Abusive And Toxic

 Creators of fandoms we love

Please stop

Turning out to be abusive

Please stop

Turning out to be toxic

Please stop

Creating hostile work environments for others

We need fandoms

To provide us support and understanding

To provide us the ability to see ourselves

To provide us the ability to escape when it gets to be too much

We need fandoms

Yes we can enjoy and critique fandoms

In an never-ending and intertwining dance

But creators stop being abusive and toxic

If we love your work

The least you can do

Is be a decent human being

Who treats others well

Creators stop being abusive and toxic

And breaking our hearts

Support Networks

 

I have been thinking about the importance of support networks in all their shapes and sizes and squiggles. For example some of the support networks I have tapped into recently include:

• Roommates who took care of me 
• Friends, Family and Friends of Friends who also took care of me 
• Church members who prayed for me
• My teddy bear who gives great hugs
• My weighted blanket which brings calm
• Classic speeches by Wentworth Miller reminding me I'm never alone in my head or in my thoughts and giving advice on what to do with all that stuff in my head
• Numerous fanfiction across multiple fandoms where characters can put into words things that I struggle to, experience things I can't experience myself, etc.
• Writing to Wentworth Miller in my journal to process what I am feeling/thinking and reminding me someone always understands what I am experiencing
• Daydreams including Captain Cold, and Pete and Chasten

Support Networks look different for each and every person. It does not matter what your support networks look like as long as you find support networks that work for you. We all will have moments when we need to lean on our support networks because we can not do something alone, so it is vital that we recognize and cultivate support networks ahead of time. 

Energetic Movement

 

Since January ran away from me because of COVID, I restarted my Ganesha Deck at the start of February. I use my deck as a daily changing art/mediation display, and each day I flip to the next card. Today's card happens to be Energetic Movement. 

Today I have been able to make a little progress on a few projects I am working on, grocery shopping (the first extended period outside my apartment in 3 weeks aka beyond tossing things in the trash can outside), laundry, some freelance work, and starting on some cleaning. In addition while the projects I am working on are not going to be done today I do feel like I am making progress which feels good. 

My hope for you today is that you find some energetic movement in your day. That might look like accomplishing something on your to-do list, or simply being able to see the situation or challenge you are facing with new eyes.

Congrats Secretary Pete

 

It is nice to have some good news to report. Pete has officially been confirmed as Secretary of Transportation and is the first out LGBT individual confirmed for a cabinet level position. (Now we wait and see about Dr. Rachel Levine who would be the first transgender cabinet-level individual)

It is so cool to see Pete confirmed because I feel like I know him and Chasten (and Buddy and Truman of course) like friends based on how open and vulnerable they have been in their various books. This is the power of making people feel seen and heard. This is also the power of providing us new ways to process our own histories and our own lives.

(Random fact the one time I was in South Bends for a Leaders in Transition program at the University of Notre Dame was during his first year as mayor though of course that was like 6 or 7 years before I had any idea who he was)

So Congrats Secretary Pete and thanks for everything you have already done, and everything you are going to do. And I will do my part by following the Rules of the Road including Belonging, Boldness, and Joy which is my personal goal for the year. 

Rebooting After COVID

 

Well I am really glad we have made it to February. I lost half of January when I ended up getting COVID. I am truly grateful for everyone who came out of the woodwork to help me through COVID. 

This also has been a time where I feel like my life has been rebooted and I am back to factory settings. So I am processing where I am in my life, where I want to go next, and what steps I have to take to get there. That can be challenging when you feel like you have been going through the motions and when at the same time you don't want to over do it.

For this year I dedicated myself to focus on Belonging, Boldness, and Joy so that is what I am going to go back to for this life reboot. 

So no matter how well you have been doing with your resolutions, or how much you have been struggling, today is the first of a new month, and a great time to try again. Show yourself mercy, kindness, and love (February is the month of Love) as you process your life, look where you want to go next, and figure out what steps you have to take to get there. And really small steps are still steps in the right direction, it does not matter the size of the step just that you take a step.

Know that I believe in you and I hope you believe in me too. May you have an amazing fresh start this February.