View in browser

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." –Audre Lorde
Liza Kindred logo with sparkle emoji
5 quick things –
Photo of two smiling women (Liza to the left and her daughter to the right) standing in front of a bright yellow traffic sign that says

Hi beautiful,

In these times, it can take real effort to maintain a genuine connection to peace, to gratitude, to faith. Everything is up in the air, nothing feels stable or solid. 

You are. You are solid. Feel your arm: it's solid. Take a deep breath: you have stability in your core. Feel your feet on the ground: the earth rises up beneath you. You are solid; you are connected. We are all connected.

What a time to realize how very connected we all are. We're all in this, together. We are solid, and we are in this together.

    Here are 5 things I am hoping can be of benefit to you this week. âŹ¬
    LET'S SIT TOGETHER
    1. free live loving-kindness meditation

    This Sunday at 12 pm ET, I am offering a free, live loving-kindness meditation online.

    In these times of fear and chaos and disconnect, a loving-kindness meditation is a wonderful way to reconnect to what's good inside of us, and to radiate it outward. 

    This is a fully guided meditation, so it's totally cool if it's your first time. All are welcome. Invite anyone. We all will sit together.
    SIGN UP FOR FREE HERE
    diamonds falling through space
    ABSOLUTE MUST READ
    2. this is how to live

    If you read just one thing this week, please let it be this article: 

    This Is How You Live When the World Falls Apart

    I had a hard time picking just one quote to share with you from this stunningly good piece of writing about the Alaskan earthquake of 1964 (and how what happened then matters so much now), but I settled on this: 

    “Worries about the past and the future are unrealistic when judged against the realities of the moment, and distinctions between people fall away, leaving only human beings responding to one another as human beings.”

    I can't recommend it enough.
    a group of burnt out matches against a pink background
    KEEP IN MIND
    3. things to remember

    Some reminders, sweet and salty:

    Always look for the helpers, said Fred Rogers. If you look for the helpers, you will know that there is hope.

    Don't touch your face. If you need help, feel free to use the machine learning behind DontTouchYaFace.com to remind you.

    Stay the f*ck at home. (For a reminder of how social distancing works, see this ridiculously simple pic.)
    TAKE CARE
    4. how to maintain normalcy

    Part of taking care of ourselves in the face of chaos and uncertainty is to control the things we can control.

    So: 

    • Stay hydrated.
    • Listen to music.
    • Go outside, or look out the window.
    • Brush and floss your teeth.
    • Get dressed. Do your regular grooming.
    • Make meals and eat them at the table.
    • Read a book. (Here are all the books I recommended to you last year.)
    • And forgive yourself if you don't do these things, because this is all really hard and you are doing your best.

    (For more ideas for things we can do for ourselves and others, see the Insta posts down at the bottom.)
    ON A LIGHTER NOTE

    5. some cool stuff

    This "working from home" cover of Dolly Parton's "Working 9 to 5" is funny and also so good.

    My friend Ginevra said I could share her curated playlist of long, relaxing videos with you. There are literal days worth of scenes here, from oceanscapes to national parks. Might I suggest you put these on TV when it's time to take a break from the news?

    And if you want to watch a distracting show, I recommend Schitt's Creek, no matter how terrible the pilot is. :)

    Please remember that other humans are scared, too. We get to decide how to be in this new world. I believe in us.
    Love,

    MEANWHILE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA . . . 
    Instagram photo of dark pink letters on a light pink background that read, in script,
    A Twitter post that says,
    Instagram photo of Liza in the background holding a pink and green postcard in the foreground that reads

    If you enjoy the email, please share! Got it from a friend? Subscribe here.
    Liza Kindred

    This newsletter was written on the unceded land of the Seminole and Tequesta people. (Via Native Land.)

    You received this newsletter because you signed up on my website. đź™ŹNo spam, ever!
    unsubscribe here (no hard feelings!)
    MailerLite