Hello everyone!

As we head towards summer, some of you may be looking forward to the warmer weather and some of you may be dreading it. Over the years our members have shared many tips on how to keep cool, including using a pet cooling mat, using cooling towels that just need to be wet and put around the neck, and combining a spray bottle with a portable fan. And of course, remember to keep hydrating! I like to drink sparkling water to help me drink enough, while others find flavouring drops or some lime or lemon can help.

In this newsletter we reviewed the book How To Keep House While Drowning. The reason we recommend it so strongly is because while it has tips on easier ways to care of the house and the self, it focuses strongly on self-compassion. Self-compassion is so important for those of us with chronic illness. Research has found that shame paralyses, rather than motivates, while self-compassion allows us to stumble, rest, and start fresh tomorrow.

Along these lines, we’d like to leave you with an excerpt from one of
Marika’s favourite books, A Psalm for the Wild-Built:

You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don’t know how to
answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it.
You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.

Wishing you a compassionate November ~ Marika and Tania