April 27, 2020 Mailing

Thoughts from the Free World:

I am so sorry that you have to be going through this right now and I don't know what else to say besides that I am praying for you. I am praying that the Lord puts His mighty hand around you right now- that He blesses you with abundant peace and comfort and health. – Emily

You are not alone!  You are not forgotten!  So many of us at Otterbein are working to change what is happening to you.  I just finished an email that was addressed to our Governor and Lt. Governor.  And I will communicate with them every day until you are all safe. -Tammy

Hang in there! I have a friend who taught in the acting class at Marion and she loves all of you and always told me how you guys would brighten her day and worked so hard! – Emily

I'm keeping everyone at MCI in my thoughts and prayers. I'm so grateful to have learned alongside the guys from Dr. DeStefanis' African American Civil Rights Movement class last spring, and I want everyone in that class to know how much it meant for me I to have shared that experience with them. I think of everyone in that class all the time and I'm praying that everyone stays safe and healthy. – Corinne

You are seen, you are heard. – Jen

Good morning, OPEI students. I wish I knew your names. You are not forgotten. We are listening and working on your behalf. – Janice

Mental/Physical Workouts for Today

Look out. Look around. Rest in your body and in the space. Do this for a few minutes.  Then, 1. Write one sentence about what you see.  2. Write one sentence about what you feel in yourself. 3. Write one sentence that connects the two.  4. Read your poem, out loud if you can.

Think of one of your favorite songs, and repeat (not sing) the lyrics as if it were a poem.  What do you hear that you didn't hear before? How do the words sound? How do they make you feel? What music is in the words even without the music? What do you connect with in the words and why? How does the music add to or change the meaning?

Name three things you are grateful for today. Lean into those things when you are discouraged. Repeat each day if you like.

Quotations to Think About Today:

“There is a reason the sky gets dark at night. We were not meant to see everything all the time. We were meant to rest and trust, even in the darkness.” -Morgan Harper Nichols

I can't say I have ever been through something even close to what you are experiencing right now, but in dark times in my life this passage has brought me so much comfort, so I hope that it can do the same for you:

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk    through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

“Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder”

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

“We can extend gentleness and care to ourselves.”

My mother always tells me that 'every storm runs out of rain.'  I think about that a lot.  I hope that is true.

“Resilience is based on compassion for ourselves as well as compassion for others.” ― Sharon Salzberg

“When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” ― Helen Keller