Every family has traditions connected to the celebration of Christmas. The best thing about traditions is that they evolve over time. When we were kids we could discover what was in our stocking (laid on the couch with care) as soon as we woke up on Christmas morning but presents could not be opened until the breakfast dishes were done. We also don't put names on the packages which results in another tradition of at least two gifts getting mixed up. The early Christmas Eve service at our church was followed by oyster stew or potato soup. But once Grandpa died, the oyster stew fell away and an uncle's family joined us instead of our grandparents.
This year we broke many of our traditions. Due to some of my uncle's grandchildren being sick and Mom recovering from surgery, our Christmas Eve meal was just my family and for the first time in my memory, we opened some of our gifts that evening. Mom wrote names on some of the gifts because she didn't think she could remember. On Christmas we enjoyed meat fondu and homemade crème brulée. During the meal Mom asked us some questions about the Christmas story. So much of what we think happened at Jesus' birth is shaped by carols rather than what the gospels actually tell us. One thing I learned is that at the time of his birth, no one celebrated birthdays. As a result the early church did not celebrate Jesus' birthday either. As has often been the case, Christmas afternoon was spent playing games. I missed out on most of it since I needed to head back north.
Other Christmas week traditions include watching too much football while doing a puzzle, eating far more goodies than usual, getting together with Dad's side of the family close to New Year's and tonight we will be bringing in the New Year by going to bed at the usual time. I know I've been grateful for time with family and a slower week with no studies to worry about. The semester officially starts on Jan 3, but I'll get a head start on Wednesday.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Homeless memorial
In the last couple of weeks of the semester I wrote a couple of papers on people experiencing homelessness. One thing I learned is that my stereotype of the typical homeless person (alcoholic and/or mentally ill male) doesn't hold true. In fact in Minnesota, the largest group is children (34%). The economic difficulties have resulted in more families experiencing homelessness.
Last Thursday I participated in a homeless memorial march and service in Minneapolis. For the past 28 years, people have gathered to remember the homeless or formerly homeless who died during the year. At the invitation of a friend I joined in this simple event. We walked 28 blocks from downtown Minneapolis to a church that also serves as a homeless shelter. Each of us had a sign with the first name, age and hometown of one of those who had died. It was a cold night and by the time we were done I was even more thankful than usual that I have always had shelter. Once we were at the church there was a simple service where the 137 names of those who had died in the past year were read and a candle was lit for each one. The one that struck a deep chord was Rose, age 42 days from Duluth. Afterwards, there was an open mic for people to tell some brief memories of those they knew. These stories made it clear that each person has a unique personality and story. They may have spent much of their lives struggling with addictions, mental illness and the effects of abuse and trauma in ways that are not socially acceptable, but they are people, made in God's image and should be remembered.
Last Thursday I participated in a homeless memorial march and service in Minneapolis. For the past 28 years, people have gathered to remember the homeless or formerly homeless who died during the year. At the invitation of a friend I joined in this simple event. We walked 28 blocks from downtown Minneapolis to a church that also serves as a homeless shelter. Each of us had a sign with the first name, age and hometown of one of those who had died. It was a cold night and by the time we were done I was even more thankful than usual that I have always had shelter. Once we were at the church there was a simple service where the 137 names of those who had died in the past year were read and a candle was lit for each one. The one that struck a deep chord was Rose, age 42 days from Duluth. Afterwards, there was an open mic for people to tell some brief memories of those they knew. These stories made it clear that each person has a unique personality and story. They may have spent much of their lives struggling with addictions, mental illness and the effects of abuse and trauma in ways that are not socially acceptable, but they are people, made in God's image and should be remembered.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Praise and Thanksgiving
Yesterday our church had a service of celebration and praise. Our pastor began the service by reading from Psalm 29.
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
After we sang a few songs, there was an open mic for anyone who wanted to praise God for what he has done over the past year. There were some moving stories of renewed health, healed emotions, comfort in the midst of heartache, and answered prayer. A common thread was experiencing love, support, friendship, and community through house church.
Here's some of the things that I praise and thank God for.
- There is comfort in the midst of sorrow and hope in the midst of tears.
- My parents' living out their faith in God's loving and sovereign control.
- After two years of living in the Twin Cities, I am in a living situation where some of my needs for friendship and community are met.
- I have finished the 1st semester of the occupational therapy program and I've been enjoying it.
- There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I often condemn myself and that can feel like God's condemnation. In reality, his conviction is gentle, gracious and kind. He invites me to repentance while assuring me that I'm already accepted, loved and a full member of his family.
- The message of Colossians (where we spent a lot of time this year as a church) is that Christ lives in me so I can be thankful, kind, patient, pure, humble, forgiving and loving. I'm slowly learning what it means to live that out.
Jesus, Creator, Sustainer
and the purpose of all things.
He is supreme, ruling in love,
preeminent over all.
He came into this broken world
crucified to bring us peace,
risen to conquer sin and death
the God-Man sets all things right.
This is Jesus living in us
Reconciling us to God,
Making us holy and blameless
As we put our hope in him.
Christ above all authority
Sets us free from guilt and shame.
Made alive by him who fills us
He is our hope of glory.
He came into this broken world
crucified to bring us peace,
risen to conquer sin and death
the God-Man sets all things right.
This is Jesus living in us
Reconciling us to God,
Making us holy and blameless
As we put our hope in him.
Jesus fills me leaving no place
for impurity, anger, covetousness or malice.
The old is gone, the new has come
Bringing kindness, thanksgiving, patience, forgiveness, and
love.
This is Jesus living in us
Reconciling us to God,
Making us holy and blameless
As we put our hope in him.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Snow forts
Snow is wonderful. It's whiteness covers all the brown left after the colors of summer and fall fade away. It makes everything brighter. It sparkles in the sun and night is not as dark with the light reflecting off the snow. Sure, snow has to be shoveled and scrapped off of cars. But that just means there are piles to clamber up and slide down. It slows down traffic but everyone must admit, that making some donuts is a lot of fun. And because the stuff is slick, skiing and sledding are possible with all the risk, speed and adventure one can handle.
Yesterday, it snowed all day. Judging by how little traffic was on the streets, most people stayed inside. Considering that there was no wind and the temperatures were right around 30, it seemed a waste to spend the day indoors. Instead I joined a family and spent much of the afternoon outdoors. The kids and I attempted to make a snowman but ended up with only one giant ball that was dubbed the monster. I pulled down a branch laden with snow and let it go and was delighted to see large amounts of snow fall off the branches on the other side of the tree right on top of the kids. Eventually we set to work making two forts in the front yard. I wish I had some pictures of our masterpieces. We worked on them for so long that I was concerned there would be no soft snow left to make snowballs with once the battle began. I needn't have worried. Together with some neighbor kids, we had an all out war which ended with the boys' fort being pretty much demolished. Ours may not have been as high, but it was stronger. I came home tired but also refreshed and ready to face the last week of the semester.
Yesterday, it snowed all day. Judging by how little traffic was on the streets, most people stayed inside. Considering that there was no wind and the temperatures were right around 30, it seemed a waste to spend the day indoors. Instead I joined a family and spent much of the afternoon outdoors. The kids and I attempted to make a snowman but ended up with only one giant ball that was dubbed the monster. I pulled down a branch laden with snow and let it go and was delighted to see large amounts of snow fall off the branches on the other side of the tree right on top of the kids. Eventually we set to work making two forts in the front yard. I wish I had some pictures of our masterpieces. We worked on them for so long that I was concerned there would be no soft snow left to make snowballs with once the battle began. I needn't have worried. Together with some neighbor kids, we had an all out war which ended with the boys' fort being pretty much demolished. Ours may not have been as high, but it was stronger. I came home tired but also refreshed and ready to face the last week of the semester.
Friday, December 7, 2012
An OT quote
In the midst of the 2nd-to-last week of the semester which requires more writing than I care to do, I came across the following quote from the 1991 Wilma West Lecture by Linda L Florey. It's a reminder of what occupational therapy is all about.
Children with sensory integrative dysfunction, neurological impairments, musculoskeletal dysfunction, conduct disorders and attention deficit disorders also have "Cub scout disorders", "playmate disorders", "kicking the soccer ball disorders", "getting dressed in gym class disorders", "best friend disorders", "no one to eat lunch with disorders". These are important disorders... with which we must ultimately concern ourselves. We must not lose our commitment to ordinary activities nor to the interpersonal context in which they occur."
As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, "What matters is not to do the remarkable things, but to do ordinary things with the conviction that their value is enormous."
Children with sensory integrative dysfunction, neurological impairments, musculoskeletal dysfunction, conduct disorders and attention deficit disorders also have "Cub scout disorders", "playmate disorders", "kicking the soccer ball disorders", "getting dressed in gym class disorders", "best friend disorders", "no one to eat lunch with disorders". These are important disorders... with which we must ultimately concern ourselves. We must not lose our commitment to ordinary activities nor to the interpersonal context in which they occur."
As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, "What matters is not to do the remarkable things, but to do ordinary things with the conviction that their value is enormous."
Monday, December 3, 2012
Group work
Yesterday (Sunday evening) our final group project of the semester was due. The first week of the semester we were told to divide into groups of four loosely based on geographic area since we would need to go together to interview someone. We didn't know each others names much less personality and work style so it felt somewhat like the Russian Roulette. At the same time, I figured that everyone who got into the program was a good student so it shouldn't really matter. I was thankful to have ended up with a good group who worked hard and well together.
Our task was to identify a community organization that promotes health and well-being, learn about it, interview someone in the organization and then develop a plan for how occupational therapy could enhance what they are doing. We chose the Wilder Foundation in St Paul and specifically looked at their Southeast Asian Services. Since the early 1980s Hmong, Cambodians, Vietnamese and more recently the Karen have been coming to the US and there is a large pocket that has settled in St Paul. They are more refugees than immigrants and many have been through significant trauma. Most have experienced an extreme lack of food, lost a member of their family, been separated from family members, and/or spent time in refugee camps. By coming to the US they may now be safe, but they have lost their country and have to adjust to a new language, culture and climate.
Because of all this trauma and upheaval it is little wonder that they experience a high rate of mental illness. Wilder is providing a unique service in that all of their service providers are also 1st generation refugees. They have been through the same horrors, understand the cultural gaps and speak the language of their clients. As we learned about their program, we wondered what we could possibly offer. They are already using many occupational therapy principles. I'm sure an experienced OT could look at what they are doing and offer suggestions that would make a big difference. We are not experienced OTs, but 1st semester students. However, we came up with an idea and got our 27 page paper (double-spaced) written by the due date. The true challenge will be going back to Wilder on Wednesday and presenting our idea. The supervisor who is our contact, has invited all the service providers to come as well. This part of the assignment made it more real-world than just turning in a paper to our professor. I hope we can be of some help to them and at least give them some resources that will enhance their work.
Our task was to identify a community organization that promotes health and well-being, learn about it, interview someone in the organization and then develop a plan for how occupational therapy could enhance what they are doing. We chose the Wilder Foundation in St Paul and specifically looked at their Southeast Asian Services. Since the early 1980s Hmong, Cambodians, Vietnamese and more recently the Karen have been coming to the US and there is a large pocket that has settled in St Paul. They are more refugees than immigrants and many have been through significant trauma. Most have experienced an extreme lack of food, lost a member of their family, been separated from family members, and/or spent time in refugee camps. By coming to the US they may now be safe, but they have lost their country and have to adjust to a new language, culture and climate.
Because of all this trauma and upheaval it is little wonder that they experience a high rate of mental illness. Wilder is providing a unique service in that all of their service providers are also 1st generation refugees. They have been through the same horrors, understand the cultural gaps and speak the language of their clients. As we learned about their program, we wondered what we could possibly offer. They are already using many occupational therapy principles. I'm sure an experienced OT could look at what they are doing and offer suggestions that would make a big difference. We are not experienced OTs, but 1st semester students. However, we came up with an idea and got our 27 page paper (double-spaced) written by the due date. The true challenge will be going back to Wilder on Wednesday and presenting our idea. The supervisor who is our contact, has invited all the service providers to come as well. This part of the assignment made it more real-world than just turning in a paper to our professor. I hope we can be of some help to them and at least give them some resources that will enhance their work.
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