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I've always believed it was important to be active in making the world a better place. My favorite spiritual quote is this one from Teresa of Avila. I've tried to use my hands and feet to do Christ's work on earth, as I am able to understand it, and as small as each step or act is. Some of the areas I've been active in are child abuse/neglect, mentoring, literacy, and education. Sometimes the problems that need solving seem overwhelming--I only have two hands and two feet. But I try. When the stay-at-home order was issued for Texas in March, I was doing four different volunteer activities each week, for three different entities. All of them stopped abruptly. I was both relieved and anxious about "doing nothing." I've now had time to reevaluate where I should be spending my time, and I may not return to any of my previous activities. I'm grateful for what each of them taught me, however. Our attention is squarely on racial equality issues this week, and if I can be of help in that fight, I will do my best to help. Our church will soon begin ongoing conversations about race relations, and I plan to participate in them. I'm also reading additional books about related issues to educate myself on the history of oppression based on race. A new opportunity is also before me. Because my mother was schizophrenic, I've always been aware and somewhat afraid of mental illness. It was a subject I learned early in life not to talk about--we were not a normal family, and it was cause for shame. Writing my memoir has been a source of healing, as I've researched mental health treatments in twentieth century America and confronted my own fears. I recently signed up to take volunteer training with the local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) whenever they resume later this month, and I look forward to another chance to both learn and be of service to others, using the hands and feet God gave me. --Janice
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January 2022
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