Intimacy is a feeling of safety. To let yourself be seen, touched, known, without defenses.


17, 21



“You will encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.” -Maya Angelou


17



Read (or listen to) A Fragile Stone together.


15



“Pain that is not transformed is transmitted.” Fr. Richard Rohr


14



It’s your civic duty to vote (including midterms!) Be an informed voter.


16, 18



Turn on the closed captions on tv. Reading them is almost unconscious. Even better, set the audio to a language other than English and turn on English captions.


4-9



Pedestrians get hit all the time. Be aware when you’re driving OR walking. Wear reflective gear if walking at night. Stay off your phone when driving OR walking.


15



Check out the Wolf Trap Children's summer theater.


4-11



My favorite actor was Robin Williams.


19



Talk about how choices become habits. Habits can become addictions. Describe how pathways are literally dug into the brain and it's very hard to change them once those paths are made.


13-16



I’d rather you be brave than perfect. Take chances. Fail, then pick yourself up and keep going.


18



“If the pain was deep you will have to let it go many times.” Yung Pueblo from book Lighter


15, 18, 21



“You don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.” - name escapes me


15, 19, 21



"Make yourself proud." Teach them to take pride in themselves - in their work, their behavior. Everything from a 3 year-old making her bed to a 10 year-old's homework. If they learn to keep going until they're satisfied it's done well, they won't need us to keep after them.


4



Get talking. Trade off likes, fears, hopes, dreams, pet peeves, etc. I like... I get mad when... I dream about... It makes me sad when I see... I’m afraid of... I wonder about...


4, 8, 14



Keep stuff on hand for guests. Be ready to be a good host / hostess at any moment.


16-21



1

Fact: when you drink to excess you are significantly more likely to cause harm to someone or be harmed yourself. Being drunk means surrendering your ability to keep yourself and others safe.


12, 15, 18



Put your purse, (wallet,bag, phone, or shoe) in the backseat with the baby. Unattended babies die every day and it’s my worst nightmare.


Infant-3, 21



Our nervous systems are just trying to keep us safe. If you were thrown into fight/flight/fawn today, give yourself some grace.


14, 21



“It’s best if we don’t speak for a while.” Practice it


19, 21



Stay fit. Try to increase fitness every year in some way: Strength, flexibility, endurance, or a specific sport or practice. Never take your body for granted.


14, 20



Before you quit your job - or leave your spouse, etc. consider that you may be suffering from anxiety or depression. We sometimes attribute outside things (or people) as the cause of feeling desperate for change. But sometimes it’s just that our brains are fogged with anxiety or depression. Help is life- changing.


21



I hope you find a partner with who are your most authentic self, and who you love for who they genuinely are.


15, 21



When you know better, do better. No one is born a fully actualized human being! We are all in the process of becoming who we wish to be.


16, 21



Thinking of asking her out? Want to apply for a job that sounds great? Remember you start off at “No.” You currently do not have a date with her. If you ask and she says no, you’ve lost nothing.


15, 17, 21



Explain what “On my honor” means.


8



There’s no sense in giving up yourself in order to be liked by people you don’t know (or like!) Like what you like. Love who you love. Be who you are. There’s nothing to fear.


13, 16, 18, 21



You were THREE years old when you caught sight of a half-dressed beautiful woman. You didn’t have much of a vocabulary yet but when your eyes got wide and you said “BAM BAM” I knew exactly what you meant. (Woman was Jessica Biel in an Adam Sandler movie.)


14, 21



“Anger is a wonderful catalyst but a terrible companion.” - Brene Brown


15, 21