Newsletter for June, 2021
From Our Minister:
From Our Minister: Play
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In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time’s continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present, watching the world’s ordinary miracles. No mind or heart hobbles. No analyzing or explaining. No questing for logic. No promises. No goals. No relationships. No worry. One is completely open…
— Diane Ackerman
Happy Pride Month! June brings us the bright rainbow flags of community, resistance, and struggle, the honoring of Juneteenth (June 19) which celebrates emancipation in the US, and the turning of the star-wheel at the Summer Solstice (June 20). In church, this is also the final month of the church year before we transition to the liminal summer months.
Our Annual Congregational Meeting will follow the special UUA General Assembly Worship Service online on Sunday, June 27, as it did last year. Beginning at 12:00 pm, the Annual Meeting will include a new awards program to celebrate leadership and service to our community, so please plan to join us! More details will be provided later in the month.
Then, our staff and groups throughout the church are encouraged to take a break and restore themselves after one of the most demanding years of our lives. I know I am beyond ready to travel to visit family and friends in Ohio and San Francisco who I haven’t seen in nearly two years! I will also find some time to rest and play to renew myself for the new church year in September.
We anticipate returning to our sanctuary in September after we go on the GLAM (Greater Los Angeles Ministry) Summer Virtual Road Trip. On Sundays at 10:30 am in July and August, we will gather with Unitarian Universalists for online worship with our local sibling congregations. This will be a wonderful opportunity to experience the many forms of liberal religious worship, to build the larger Beloved Community, and it will give our dedicated but exhausted worship leaders a much needed break. The move to GLAM in July will also allow us to plan, design, and install new audiovisual capability in the sanctuary so we can continue to serve the online community that has joined us for worship over the past year.
Our spiritual theme for congregational exploration this month is Play. Theme-based ministry invites the entire congregation to reflect upon universal themes of religious life in creative ways each month. Play can be broadly defined as activity that is engaged in for the purpose of enjoyment. Many of us are probably in need of some recreation, leisure time, and play after the stresses, fears, and isolation of the past year. You’re invited to reflect on this theme to prepare for a summer of societal reopening and the many celebrations, events, and vacations that await.
Our friends at Soul Matters suggest a few questions to deepen your engagement with this reflection: What makes something “play” for you? When you feel free from the burden of producing an outcome? When creativity is involved? When you lose time? When you can just be yourself? All of the above? Something else? Can worship be play? Can play lead to transcendence? Can play be a form of political resistance? When has play saved or healed you? Who keeps you playful?
Although I will be away in the month of July and for part of August, our Pastoral Care Ministry will be available to provide support, presence, and companionship while I am away. Chaplain Michael Eselun and the Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins will provide adjunct professional support while I am away, and I am so grateful for their collegial leadership and stewardship of our beloved community. You can request pastoral care by email at pastoralcare@uusm.org. Your requests are shared with the pastoral leadership and are confidential. You can also submit joys, sorrows, and milestones to be shared on Sunday mornings with this email address. May we make some time for play in the weeks and months ahead! Let us offer praise that we’ve made it this far with love as our companion and guide. With love and gratitude, Jeremiah Rev. Jeremiah Lal Shahbaz Kalendae Developmental Minister ">pastoralcare@uusm.org. Your requests are shared with the pastoral leadership and are confidential. You can also submit joys, sorrows, and milestones to be shared on Sunday mornings with this email address.
May we make some time for play in the weeks and months ahead! Let us offer praise that we’ve made it this far with love as our companion and guide.
With love and gratitude,
Jeremiah
Rev. Jeremiah Lal Shahbaz Kalendae
Developmental Minister
Developmental Minister
Featured Articles:
2021-22 Elections: Board Slate and Three Resolutions Coming to Your Mailbox
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It’s been a year like no other! Yet, here we are emerging on the other side of the pandemic. We’ve found new ways to stay together, apart. As we undertake the work of reopening in the fall, we are also preparing for our Annual Meeting.
Our Annual Meeting will take place on June 27, 2021, at 12 pm. Just like last year, it will be streamed on a pre-recorded Facebook Live @UUSantaMonica (just as we do our Sunday services). Members in good standing can look for your ballot in the mail (remember to vote on the resolutions, too) and in your email inbox. Votes must be received by Tuesday, June 22, at noon.
The results of the election will be announced and we will “swear in” the new board. It will be a time for looking forward with hope for the future and with gratitude for those who serve our community. Please take a moment and get acquainted with the amazing people who have volunteered to serve on the Board of Directors and Nominating Committee.
Board of Directors
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Collaborative Leadership for Collective Liberation. This statement is still powerful for me. How do we all participate together? Making light work for many hands. Collective Liberation is something we have heard a lot of in our work in Beloved Conversations, our powerful anti-racist anti-oppression work we are doing together with the program created by the Fahs Collaborative @ Meadville-Lombard.
Functional Organization Protocol or “Look! Everyone knows what they’re doing!” is really so important to me and now we are working towards modernized Bylaws. I am really excited about creating better documents to help us collect our institutional knowledge and make it easily accessible to all.
Leadership. How do we cultivate our leaders in our community? I have found so much here at UUSM and become a more developed human being, a better leader in my work by committing fully and participating fully in this community. How can I help to cultivate this for everyone who wants to learn and grow?
Our Mission and Vision. Let’s work on what this really means.
- Board of Directors: Past 7 years
- President (2020-2021)
- Vice President (2018-2020)
- Secretary of the Board (2016-2018)
- Member at Large (2014-2016)
- Attended UUA GA, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Co-chaired Facilities Committee, past 7 years, Currently Board Liaison for Facilities/Maintenance Committee
- Co-chaired Green Living Committee (2011-2014), currently a member
- Led efforts to achieve Green Sanctuary Certification in 2016 and Santa Monica Sustainable Quality Awards for Stewardship of the Environment in 2018
- Attended Annenberg Alchemy Stewardship/Leadership conference
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I joined UUSM, along with my husband, Michael, in May 2015, after attending for about six months as visitors. I am very happy that we made that decision. We’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people who share our values. We’ve had the opportunity to experience countless beautiful moments of conversations, meals, performances, and, of course, the services.
I have participated in three Heart to Heart groups and am currently participating in Beloved Conversations. I’m on the coffee committee when we meet in person. I’ve served one term on the board as a Member-at-Large and am nominated for my second year as Vice President. I was on the search committee for our developmental minister, am presently on the COVID steering committee, and have also participated in a variety of meetings and planning sessions. Michael and I have tried to make meaningful contributions to UUSM, including becoming part of the Sustainability Fund. We believe in this place.
I have been awed by the grace with which this community has met the challenges brought by the pandemic. I am honored to be among the nominees this year and excited about the opportunity to continue to serve as Board Vice President as we move toward being together in person again.
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My name is Larry Weiner, and I am running for the Board of Directors of UUSM and for a second one-year term as Secretary. I am 72 years old. My wife, Laura, my 23-year-old son, Jacob, and I have been members of our church for about 14 years. I have spent most of my time here teaching RE, so if you don’t know me well, it could be because I spent so much time upstairs in Forbes Hall. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with our youth and a lot of fun too. If you are looking for a way to make a difference here at our church, I recommend teaching RE.
I worked in retail grocery for 35 years and am now retired. While working, I was a union shop steward and also on the Executive Board of UFCW local 1442. I also served six years on a Homeowners Association Board in a large community in Culver City, where I have lived for 42 years. I was the President of that HOA Board for the last five years. More recently, while my son spent 12 years in Culver City Unified School District, I also spent 12 years on various PTA Boards both at school and council levels. I was known for my advocacy. When my son graduated, I left the PTA and moved on to the Exchange Club, a service organization in Culver City that produces events to raise money for children’s and veteran’s causes. I love this Church and would be honored to continue to serve on the Board here.
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It has been an honor to serve as church treasurer for the last two years. I knew before I started in this position that it meant working on our long-standing financial issues (namely deficit budgets). But I could not imagine that only a few months later, we would be facing a global public health crisis that would shut down our society. The financial worries of the pre-Covid times paled by comparison. Yet we are a stronger church today because of our commitments to each other and our commitment to ensuring that our church survives. As I originally promised, I commit to working with the board and the congregation to move our church forward. As treasurer, I promise to work on the toughest issues facing our congregation today: that of finances. I commit to listen carefully and work closely with each of you.
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Early this year, Linda jumped in to fill a vacated seat on the board. She is running this June to complete the term.
Linda has been a member of UUSM for over 25 years. With her husband Greg Wood, they raised their daughter Alyssa in this church and tried to live the Seven Principles. She is a retired RN. During the Pandemic chaired Care Ring, part of Pastoral Care, became a member of the Intersectional Anti Racist Anti Oppression Commission and Zoomed Adult RE Classes. Prior to the Pandemic she participated in RE as an OWL teacher, was an usher, a coffee barista, and part of the Second Sunday Supper team. For fun, she likes to hike, travel, and take classes at Emeritus College.
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Mike ran last year and completed the term of a vacated member-at-large position.
I came out as an atheist on the day of what would have been my confirmation as a Catholic sometime in the late '80s. I didn’t get involved with church until my ex-wife convinced me that church would be good for our daughters. She found the UUs in 2000. I was skeptical. During the first sermon I attended, we broke out into groups for a discussion. I don’t remember the topic, but I hadn’t met that many other atheists in one sitting before.
I started coming to UUSM in 2011. I like it here, and I plan on staying. I’ve been involved as an OWL facilitator for a few years, and I’ve hosted a few D4$ events. In my spare time, I like to surf and play board games.
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Abby Arnold has been a member of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica since 1995, and raised two Unitarian Universalist children as a single parent. She has served the church as a worship associate and a leader of several Heart to Heart Circles, editor of the newsletter, and co-led a Religious Education group exploring the Sermon on the Mount from the New Testament. She was first elected to the Board in 2019. She values our connection to the Unitarian Universalist Association, attends General Assembly as often as possible, and served on the UUA’s national Generosity Network. She is active in the Santa Monica community where she is co-chair of Santa Monica Forward. Abby works as a consultant and grant writer on issues including homelessness and housing, violence against women, and job development. In 2019, she had the life-changing experience of traveling in Alabama with other UUs on the Living Legacy Pilgrimage, focused on the legacy of slavery and how we repair it.
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UU Member, West Hartford, CT 2 years
UUSM Member 5 years
Involvement:
- Board Secretary, 2 years
- Board Member-at-Large, 2 year2
- Co-Chair, Membership Committee, 3 years
- Heart-to-Heart Chairperson, 2 years, Co-Facilitator 1 year; participant 3 years
- Participant in Meditation Group, 4 years and Men’s Group, 5 years
- UUA General Assembly, Spokane, WA, June 2019
- UUA General Assembly, New Orleans, June 2017
I believe…
- In a congregational home that provides opportunities for spiritual and personal growth.
- In a caring and loving community that is welcoming and inclusive and assumes an active responsibility for our community and world.
- That UUSM is a hidden gem in the Community of Santa Monica. I think it should be easier for people to find us!
- That as we continue to grow as a healthy congregation we will attract people to our Church and membership will grow.
- That a UU Community that supports high expectation membership will attract members who are dedicated, energized, and committed.
- That in addition to seeking and growing our UU Community, it is equally important to connect with and care for each other as current members.
Goals:
- To fulfill to the best of my ability, the position of Board Member-at-Large.
- To bring ideas, energy, dedication, and commitment to the Board as we deal with the important issues before us.
Jacki Weber will continue as past president. No vote required.
Nominating Committee
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This past year, Karl finished out the term of a vacated seat on Nom Comm.
He has been a member at UUSM since 1995 and has been active in several church areas. He’s been an usher, served coffee, was on the Facilities Committee for many years, taught in RE for four years, is the chair of the de Benneville Pines Planning Committee, and currently serves on the Second Sunday Supper Committee. His children went through RE and OWL, and his wife, Janet, has also been involved in Church life for years.
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Dan Patterson has been a member of UUSM since 2009. Has been a youth advisor, a member of the Adult RE committee and Committee of Ministry, a Small Group facilitator, and a member of fUUsion, the young adult group. He has been an usher for almost a decade and the head usher for the last five years. He enjoys small group discussions and looks forward to doing that in person again.
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My commitment to this congregation runs long and deep. In my three-plus decades with you, I’ve served on a dozen committees; taught RE classes and chaired the RE committee; scrubbed, painted, and weeded with work parties, served as a Board member and as your Board president; packed lunches for bunches; hosted annual Dining for Dollars events; led our previous ministerial internship committee; ushered for Sunday services, and mentored coming-of-agers.
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Sheila Cummins has been a member at UUSM since 2014 and was a friend for several years before becoming a member. She has served coffee almost as long as she’s been attending this church, served on the Hospitality Committee (now defunct) for three years, and has been a member of the Newsletter team for about two years. She has been affiliated with UU churches for most of her life.
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Natalie Kahn is a 20-year member of the UU Church of Santa Monica. She has sung in the choir, taught in Adult RE, been on the Adult RE Committee, as well as the Dining for Dollars Committee, the Stewardship Committee, the Membership Committee, and as a Heart to Heart facilitator. She is beginning her second year as a worship associate with the group. She looks forward to new adventures in the coming years, most notably greeting new members and old friends, face to face, as in olden days.
Resoutions: Vote Yes or No
Resolution 1: The Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica approves the minutes from the Annual Meeting on June 28, 2020.
Resolution 2: The Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica approves the budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year.
Resolution 3: The Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica authorizes an expenditure of up to $150,000 from the Catastrophe Reserve and Emergency Reserve for the structural repair and improvement of the Arizona Lobby.
Note that the June 27 virtual Annual meeting will be considered an “interim” business meeting. Election results will be ratified at a future meeting when the congregation is able to come together once again and be physically present for one another. Please practice that 5th UU Principle and VOTE before noon on Tuesday, June 22 and then join us online June 27 at noon.
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News & Announcements:
Our Spring Dining for Dollars Ended May 23rd in Success!
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Dear UUSM Community,
Thank you all for participating in our Spring Auction. It was a HUGE success, in which we made more than $7,300!
Donors, we all appreciate you stepping forward to offer your arts and crafts and planned Zoom events with food, drink and fun conversation. And Bidders, well, you actually paid for things, helped build back better our Church budget.
Bidders: Now it is time to connect the dots: If you have paid your balance due, GREAT! If not, please do, ASAP. Use the link to CHECKOUT in the Bidder Statement. After that, you can claim your winnings.
Thanks for making this auction a success!
The UUSM Fundraising Committee
June Generous Congregation Supports TransLatin@ Coalition
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Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex (TGNCI) communities are one of the most marginalized communities in our society, but many lack the the knowledge and resources to address social and health inequities in our Los Angeles communities. Additionally, the conservative political right has long targeted trans communities through divisive anti-trans legislation, policies, and litigation. Discrimination runs rampant in the lives of trans people regularly, especially for those that identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Barriers to accessing housing, health care, education, employment, and other basic needs have only been exacerbated by COVID-19. In a time that we are met with emergency and scarcity, we are seeing the effects of a society that has historically failed to address the many specific needs of TGNC people.
The TransLatin@ Coalition began in 2009 as a grassroots response to aid Trans, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex (TGI) immigrants living in the United States. Eleven years later and they have grown into a nationally recognized organization in 10 states across the US and provide direct services for those in the Los Angeles and West Hollywood areas. Their goal is to not only meet the specific needs of the TransLatin@ community but to improve the quality of life.
In addition to the variety of services they offer, including warm meals, outreach, case management, advocacy, and a re-entry program, they are working to develop TGI individual as leaders and to advocate for the needs and issues of the TGI community.
Generous Congregation
Our practice here at UUSM is to dedicate half of our non-pledge Sunday offerings to organizations doing work in the world that advances our Unitarian Universalist principles; the other 50% of the offering is used to support the life of our church.
UUSM’s Generous Congregation supports our church community. And together, we uplift the reach and impact of vital organizations doing work we could not do on our own. This month, half of our Sunday offerings will go to TransLatin@ Coalition. With your support, we can help TransLatin@ continue to provide resources, as well as advocacy work and leadership development for the TGI community.
Please consider supporting the mission of our church, and UUFME. To give $10 right now, text “$10 GCC” (or another amount) to 844-982-0209. (One-time-only credit card registration required.)
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RE News:
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Come, come, whoever you are!
Welcome to an exciting journey of questioning, challenging, and celebrating life’s mysteries and wonders. For generations, Adult Programs at UU Santa Monica has welcomed seekers, exiles, and interfaith families along with those who have grown up in our own Unitarian Universalist tradition. We are a congregation made up of people who believe in God or a higher power, people who do not, those who are content to live with the mystery, and those who are ever searching for answers to the big questions. But most of all, we are enriched by one another’s life journeys, diverse beliefs, shared progressive values and uniting UU Principles as we learn and explore together.
Our Purpose and Our Guide
At its core, the purpose of our educational ministry is to provide opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their spiritual lives, and live with compassion, integrity and joy as we nurture beloved community and work together for peace and justice in this world. Adult Programs offers classes, discussion groups, and special events on an array of topics relevant to the Six Sources and our congregation’s spiritual life. Some of these may include in-depth study of theology and spirituality, discussion of science writing or Humanist ideas, opportunities to explore music, arts and crafts, or chances to connect socially for fellowship and fun. Many programs are made possible through the time and talent of our members and friends.
An Invitation
Do you have an idea for a program or event? We want to hear it. Email the Adult RE Committee (AdultRE@UUSM.org) or Teri Lucas (uusmREassist@uusm.org) and we can work with you on presenting your ideas.
Special Offering for June 2021
Challenges of Parenting: Building Resilience Wednesdays, June 16, 23, 30
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Community Building Through Personal Development:
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This will be our first foray into observing and journaling about objects that are not living. Yet, even though rocks are not alive, they are dynamic and changing. We will use drawing and writing to help us observe sand, soil and pebbles. All are welcome. We observe what we observe in the ways that work best for us. No previous knowledge or skills are required. Curiosity is the best tool. For this session participants are asked to come with a tablespoon full of sand, a tablespoon full of soil, three pebbles that look and feel different from each other, scotch tape and a magnifying glass, as well as journaling materials; something to write/draw with; and something to write/draw on. If you have difficulty obtaining sand or soil, let Dorothy know and she will send you some. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, Dorothy has more than twenty years experience encouraging people to a love for the natural world. She leads hikes for children and adults in Topanga Canyon, Ballona Wetlands and Dockweiler State Beach. The class will meet from 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Contact: Dorothy Steinicke, through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Exploration of Ideas:
AAHS (Agnostics, Atheists, Humanists, Secularists) Freethinkers Forum Sunday, June 27
AAHS (Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, and Secularists) is an open group that meets for a lively and engaging discussion on topics of politics, science, religion, and philosophy. We are a home base for non-believers and questioners, but everyone is welcome. For many, atheism/agnosticism is a first step; Humanism is the thousand steps that come after. We meet from 12:00-1:30 pm. For Zoom information, contact: James Witker at aahs@uusm.org
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We will discuss “Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures,” by Merlin Sheldrake. We think of fungi as mushrooms, but those are only the fruiting bodies of massive networks of diverse organisms. What better example of the web of all existence, of which we are a part. All are welcome. We meet from 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Contact: Rebecca Crawford, sci-nonfiction@uusm.org.
UU Men’s Group Thursdays, June 3, 17
The Men’s Group offers a special opportunity to the men of the congregation and other like-minded men to join our welcoming group in provocative and stimulating discussion and to get to know others with UU perspectives in a more meaningful way. For June 3rd, “How to provide needed assistance and care for the elderly is an important concern for families and society. Have you been involved in decisions about and care for an aged parent? How do you anticipate that your needs will be addressed when you are no longer able to completely care for yourself? Have you had any family discussions about this?” For June 17th, “Automobiles have played a major role in American culture and identity. Acknowledging that this hasn’t been an entirely good thing, what was your favorite car of all that you have owned and why? What do you think you will buy the next time you need a new car?” We meet the first and third Thursdays of the month at 7:30 pm via Zoom. For more information, contact Jim Rheinwald through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Meditation:
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We gather and listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We explore the integration of meditation with ordinary life through reading and sharing. This is a non-guided, quiet meditation that may be deeply nourishing. A time to simply “be” amidst all the “doing,” calling off the struggle to become other than we are. We meet every 2nd, 4th, and if possible 5th Monday evenings, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Contact Bev Shoenberger or Carol Ring through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
Open Meditation: Wellsprings All Wednesdays and Fridays
These are exceptional times. Taking this time for quiet meditation and sharing in the intimacy of having sat in silence together can help sustain and ground us during these difficult days. We trust each of you will use this group in the way that fits your needs. We listen to brief readings, sit together quietly for twenty minutes, journal, and share with each other what’s on our hearts. We simply sit together in our shared humanity. We call off the struggle to become other than we are. These are drop-in groups. You are welcome to join us when it feels right to you. If you come in late or need to leave early, just do so quietly. We meet every Wednesday and Friday afternoon from 12:00 noon – 1:00 pm online. Contact Bev Shoenberger through DRE Assistant Teri Lucas: uusmREassist@uusm.org
The Challenges of Parenting: Building Resilience, With Resa Foreman
JUNE 16, 23, AND 30
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Parenting can be a joyous experience, allowing us to love another in a most profound way. It can also be exhausting. Good parenting requires patience, empathy, and attunement to the particular needs of your child. This past year presented additional challenges brought on by COVID-19, causing families to spend long stretches of time together with no breaks and little opportunity to rejuvenate. Alone time and self- care are essential tools for building resilience as parents. By nurturing ourselves through exercise, reading, meditation, friendships, hobbies, we can center ourselves, regulate our emotions, take a breath, and better face the challenges of parenting our beautiful and unique children.
RESA FOREMAN was a therapist for Kaiser Permanente for 40 years and has recently retired. “It has been a privilege to help and support thousands of clients both individually and in groups. It was very rewarding to encourage my clients to be their authentic selves and succeed in whatever path they chose.” Resa ran a Couples Communication Class for 38 years and has led many other groups. Her specialties include Adult ADHD, parenting special needs children (depressed, learning disabled, ADHD, ASD, oppositional), and Couples Therapy.
Resa is also the parent of a Special Needs Adult and she reports that her journey has been challenging.
“My goal in leading this class is to empower parents by building resilience in the face of challenging situations. Topics discussed might be self-care, improved communication strategies, self regulation, and acceptance of your child with their unique personalities. Participants are invited to share their stories, their triumphs, and their challenges. Hope you can join us.”
Dates, Time, Location and Contact:
Wednesdays, June 16, 23, and 30
from 6:00-7:30 pmOn Zoom
from 6:00-7:30 pmOn Zoom
For Zoom link, please contact our DRE Assistant Teri Lucas at uusmREassist@uusm.org