On days when I struggle with lingering symptoms I return to the strategies I learned in the Long-Covid Clinic. While the enormity of undone tasks threatens to unravel what remains of my sanity and physical strength, I try to remember that my existence is more important than my performance. It is enough to just live through these moments.

If I have the strength, I can consider, what is something I can do in this moment to make myself feel one percent better? Can I sit down? Can I drink water? Is there a medication that will ease any part of my symptoms? Can I breathe in and out slowly, and close my eyes? Is there any part of me that doesn't hurt?

I attend to all the parts, the ones that do and the ones that don't hurt. But most importantly I must remember that simply existing through the bad moments is enough. I don't have to solve them, I can even live through them without understanding why they happen.

What do you do if you are concerned about your child's reading habit (or lack thereof)? It seems everyone else's kid has loved reading since before kindergarten!

If your child isn't interested in books, here are some thoughts about literacy.

1. Reading isn't a particularly natural ability. It is a complex set of motor, linguistic and intellectual skills that develop over time on a schedule very unique to each individual. Many of the micro-skills upon which reading ability is built get easier as children develop and mature. In other words, pushing a child who isn't ready to read won't speed up a natural growth process, but it could bring unnecessary stress to the experience of reading.

2. Adult opinions about how children engage with books can easily come across as criticism. Children who are allowed to explore books on their own terms will benefit from their own curiosity. For example, telling a child they are reading a book that is too easy or too difficult for them can quickly turn a child off of reading. Kids who re-read "easy" books benefit from repetitive practice and success. Let them read what they like.

3. Remember that any reading counts as reading. For example, reading comics, maps and charts, collector cards, cereal boxes, and video game dialogue are all perfectly valid reading experiences, even if it doesn't come from a book. Audio books, storytelling, or being read to aloud are also valuable ways kids can build many literacy skills (such as exposure to vocabulary, language structure and theme comprehension).

4. Of course it is possible that your child has a specific need in regard to learning to read. For example, vision impairment or dyslexia aren't rare; professional guidance is recommended. A pair of glasses or dyslexia-specific strategies can be a game changer for a child's reading journey. For further information about dyslexia, see https://dyslexiaida.org/

Organizing and leading the Printmaking Workshop was truly a pleasure. There is a lot of strength and joy in gathering with other artists.

We started with a quick stroll around the neighborhood, collecting leaves with childlike wonder. We proceeded to spread paint on the leaves and press the leaves as printing plates onto paper.

Everyone created a microcosm of the color, change, and spontaneity fundamental to Fall.

Art is an expression of my inner journey through growth, grave illness, rest, and the miraculous but slow process of healing.

While there may be something in the content of my work that resonates for you, my real hope is that the very existence of my artwork will be an invitation to you to take the time to do whatever it is that helps you to feel a little more alive.

Print on demand can be an ecologically sound choice because products are created only when someone actually orders them.

This helps reduce overproduction, excess inventory, and unnecessary waste compared to traditional mass manufacturing. Small-batch production also lowers the likelihood of unsold items ending up discarded in landfills.

While no manufacturing process is entirely without environmental impact, print on demand can support a more intentional and less wasteful approach to creating and purchasing goods.