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I have always thought that the frequent discomfort and anxiety I feel while watching something or reading a book are related to suspense. Until now, I haven't honestly examined why I want to crawl out of my skin in certain situations. Then, the other night, I was reading Water Finds a Way by Meghan Perry and realized I was getting antsy and uncomfortable. I wanted to skip ahead to find safety or resolution for the protagonists - the way I typically do. Instead, I put the book (phone) aside and sat with the feelings to think about what was happening in the story that was triggering me. That is when I realized I wasn't bothered by the suspense of wondering what would happen. I was viscerally reacting to an unlikable character who had just been introduced. No, he wasn't necessarily portrayed as obnoxious or sinister; I just knew the guy would cause trouble as the story progressed. Broadening this investigation to my over-arching feelings of unease, irritation, malaise, and apprehension since last summer, I now recognize that it isn't caused by suspense either - because I already subconsciously know the results. Instead, like in the book, I have been experiencing all these deep-seated emotions in response to an untrustworthy, purely evil character and his entire corrupt cast (of puppet masters). I often perceive what happens in a story (or real life) well before any tangible clues or foreshadowing are presented. I can also immediately assess whether I should trust someone and get to know them better within seconds of meeting them (again, whether in a story or real life). First impressions are all I need. Some would call this skill - intuition (or maybe too quick to judge). But whatever you label it - it is definitely connected to my neuro-spiciness. However, as a people-pleasing problem solver, I sometimes ignore my spidey senses, open myself up, and offer requested support and help - to my detriment and peace of mind. Yet, even given the occasional heartbreak and angst, my instinct toward kindness, fairness, and empathy will constantly guide me. To be clear, I will confront misinformation and rudeness, but always with an underlying gentleness and care that allows for that human connection we all seek. (Unless I need to break contact entirely for my and others' emotional or physical safety.) I want "my" DRC kids to witness respect in action and understand that building a thoughtful, diverse, inclusive, and supportive community together is the basis for positive societal change. DRC NewsThe Canton Crew had the week off for midwinter break. The Pop-ups Peeps had fun at the Massena & Norwood libraries on Thursday & Friday. They will return to their Wednesday and Thursday schedule this coming week. They will be at Nicandri on Wednesday and the Massena Library on Thursday. All homeschool families are welcome to participate.  Celebrating Black HistoryTo celebrate Black History Month, DRC will be honoring the voices of just a few of the many inspiring black women throughout our history on our social media. Below are the posts from this past week.  Fundraising The DRC raffle is live! Win the $100 worth of pictured Lotto Tickets. (Thanks to Robert at the Seven-Eleven, 71 E. Main St. in Canton for choosing the tickets for us!) Must be 18+ to participate. Drawing is March 17th. Purchase raffle tickets from DRC families or online by clicking below.  As the NoCo clears up the latest snow, your friends at DRC are sending out summer vibes as we begin planning our second annual Craft Fair/Family Fun event Saturday, Aug. 9th at the Norwood Village Park. Vendors can find the link to the registration form. Save the date! We hope to see you there! Please share this info with any vendors in your network. Thank you! 
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I firmly believe that the world cannot be divided into good or bad, black or white, and evil or sainted. When I see (hear) an absolute, I understand there is little room for the beautiful and varied shades of gray in that person's perceptions on that particular topic. The concept of moderation gives us the grace to live authentically without judgment or taking sides. But what does this mean in real life? One of the things I see most frequently is the absolutes around diet and food - junk food versus healthy, conventional versus organic, and all the "diets" (keto, paleo, intermittent fasting) versus the other "diets." We often forget the variables regarding food choices within those debates - income levels, availability, illness and disease, ARFID and other disorders related to neurodivergence, and personal preferences, including the simple and pure joy of eating something delicious. Moderation is the key. The definitions of schoolwork, learning, and play are some other absolutes that drive me a little crazy. We have been conditioned to understand that schoolwork and learning are synonymous and play is frivolous. When, in fact, authentic learning is a combination that is active, self-directed and influenced by individual interests, and frequently looks a lot like play. Because enjoyment, engagement, and having fun are how our brains absorb new information. Some memes that pop up on social media follow this same trope of absolutism - including the one I saw this morning: "go to trade school and pay your own way." What? Why can't we promote the trades without denigrating other paths to success? This goes for every message that presents an either-or, good-or-bad rigidity without acknowledging the excellence found within the balance of the middle ground. Finding that sweet spot of moderation often leads to pleasure; we forget that, as humans, we are fundamentally driven by the things that delight us. At this moment, our world feels frightening, chaotic, and unpredictable. We can counter these feelings by exploring what brings us peace., joy, and grace within ourselves. By projecting these qualities, as well as our values of respect, empathy, and kindness, we can send messages about the beauty of authenticity, moderation, and open-mindedness into the universe. DRC NewsWe had another short week with a snow day on Thursday. That didn't stop our Canton crew from having cool adventures and exploring all the possibilities. The Canton Center is on mid-winter break this coming week and will return on Monday the 24th.  Our Pop-Ups Peeps were affected by the Thursday storm too. They met on Friday at the Norwood library and had a great time. The Pop-ups will be meeting this coming week. Janine will meet everyone on Thursday 2/20 at the Massena Library, 1-4:15 and Friday at the Norwood Library, 1-4.  Black History To celebrate Black History Month, DRC will be honoring the voices of just a few of the inspiring black woman throughout our history on our social media. Below are the posts from this past week. FundraisersThe DRC raffle is live! Win the $100 worth of pictured Lotto Tickets. (Thanks to Robert at the Seven-Eleven, 71 E. Main St. in Canton for choosing the tickets for us!) Must be 18+ to participate. Drawing is March 17th. Purchase raffle tickets from DRC families or purchase online by clicking below.  Craft Fair As the NoCo anticipates even more snow, your friends at DRC are sending out summer vibes as we begin planning our second annual Craft Fair/Family Fun event Saturday, Aug. 9th at the Norwood Village Park. Vendors can find the link to the registration form. Save the date! We hope to see you there! Man, this has been a tough one to write. This is the third or maybe fourth major revision. I 'm really not sure, I lost track a few hours ago. I do now that way more has been deleted than written in an attempt to get these thoughts that have been swirling around my head for a while now - out with a modicum of coherence and sensitivity. Sometimes, as much as we may want to have a protected space for our kiddos - current events and viewpoints find their way into our community dialogue, and we have to find a way to talk about them respectfully. To be clear, we will not ignore disrespect, hyperbole involving inequity and exclusion of people from diverse backgrounds, and general blatant disregard for others. However, I do try to meet mean-spiritedness with kindness and gentleness - no matter how frustrated or disappointed I feel. At DRC, we manage all of this through conversations. When I invite kids to talk, most, when asked why they like DRC, will say they appreciate feeling safe and welcome. We then discuss the concept of inclusion, why it is imperative that everyone feels secure and comfortable being their authentic selves at DRC, and how they can help achieve that. I make it plain that respect and kindness are non-negotiable here, and I hope they can carry those ideals with them into the broader world. Outside these individual and group conversations and our day-to-day activities, I model acceptance and curiosity by embracing and highlighting things like Black History (see below), LGBTQ+ and disability rights, and my openness to learn more about all levels of diversity. Because I have firm belief that lived experiences can help people stand up for the values that should be universal. DRC NewsIt was a weird week with one winter storm after another. We had two snow days that bracketed our regular Wednesday off. Monday and Friday were filled with tons of cooking, art, and outdoor adventures. PS - We are still looking for X-C ski boots sizes 5-8 adult.  Pop-Ups The Pop-ups Peeps had fun at the Nicandri Nature Center on Wednesday. They, too, had to cancel on Thursday because of snowy conditions. Notice that this coming week's meet-ups are shifted a bit again because of scheduling conflicts: Thursday - 2/13 - 1 -4:15 - Massena Public Library Friday - 2/14 - 1-4 - Norwood Public Library. Fundraiser The DRC fundraising raffle is going through March 17th. You could win $100 worth of NYS scratch Lotto tickets. (Must be 18 to participate.) All of the proceeds help us keep our promise to accept any child who needs our help no matter their family's financial situation. Purchase your tickets from any DRC family or online by following this link: https://omella.com/qsptc  Black History To celebrate Black History Month, DRC will be honoring the voices of just a few of the inspiring black woman throughout our history on our social media. Below are the first four. DRC Swag Find these two latest designs in the DRC Printify shop. The vicious attacks on DEI over the past months have increased exponentially over the last two weeks. Protecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has become a full-blown battle based solely on misinformation, lies, and propaganda. I reiterate this is not politics - through the calculated use of deception, propagandists (oligarchs) sow hate, division, fear, and agitation. The despicable misogynistic, homophobic, racist, and ableist narrative they spin is that women, LGBTQ, black and brown, and disabled folks are incompetent and lazy and are taking up the places meant for their audience in society. They are intentionally using the poor, ignorant (manipulated), and disenfranchised to do the heavy lifting and dirty work behind their smear campaign against equity. What most don't understand is that DEI is specifically designed to promote fair and beneficial treatment for everyone - not just "the other" - those who are underrepresented, or discriminated against. I would like to believe that even though the Oligarchs may strip away DEI, Civil Rights, ADA, or other legal protective programs; they will not erase the concepts of common decency, empathy, and integrity. Unfortunately, our systems promote unregulated competition and greed instead of embracing the concept of equity and human connectedness, which is why so many heroes have fought long and hard for these needed protections - in the first place. Nonetheless, we can model compassion, honesty, and ethics and promote diversity while calling out the many levels of propaganda and misinformation in our everyday encounters. As I stated in last week's piece, our children are watching and learning. They will notice and remember when they see decency, empathy, and integrity in action. This is just one more reason why DRC's below-stated policy will always stand: Deep Root Center will not discriminate based on ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual preference, income level, religious affiliation, disability, or any other factors that make you and your child awesomely unique individuals. To say it more simply -Everyone is welcome and celebrated at Deep Root Center as a beautifully unique individual. Our policy of radical inclusion gives us the freedom to accept, support, respect, and trust every young person on their learning journey. Because - diversity is our strength. *Note - Yes, I recognize how ridiculous it is that we have to state explicitly that our policy of inclusion is radical. But - here we are! DRC News The Canton Crew had a snow day on Tuesday - but made up for it with lots of action the remaining three days.  We also have a request - we are looking for x-country ski boots US sizes adult - 5, 6, 7, & 8. We will happily take any old boots you have laying around as long as they are functional. Right now we have a limited selection of either small or large boots. We have some kiddos who are excited about learning to ski and would like to get them some boots that actually fit.  The Pop-Ups Peeps had a great time this week at the Massena and Norwood Public Libraries this week. Next week they will be at the Nicandri Nature Center on Wednesday and the Massena Library on Thursday. All Homeschool families in the NoCo are welcome.  As the NoCo dusts off another layer of snow, your friends at DRC are sending out summer vibes as we begin planning our second annual Craft Fair/Family Fun event Saturday, Aug. 9th at the Norwood Village Park. Vendors can find the link to the registration form here: https://omella.com/ysvjs Save the date! We hope to see you there!  In other fundraising news - we are holding our scratch ticket raffle again this year with the drawing on St. Patrick's Day. The winner takes $100 worth of Lotto Tickets. (18 and up to participate). You can purchase your tickets from any DRC family or online. When you complete the online form we will fill out the raffle tickets for you and send you a photo of the completed tickets. https://omella.com/qsptc  Catch our Early Bird Special for this year's Summer Program!
Thanks for taking the time to read this very long edition of DRC News. I have one final request this week - We are looking for someone with a plow truck to quickly do a couple of swipes to remove the big banks at the end of our driveway after big(ish) snow events. (Maybe if you are going by anyway.)
We have a snow blower to clear the rest of the driveway - but it doesn't get done until after folks are already there. Which means I have to park on the side of the road and shovel it when I get there at 7:15. Thanks to DRC parent, VK, for shoveling it out this Thursday. She totally saved me and my shoulder! Please let us know if you can help with this. Thank you! |
