Finding the Joy in Moderation

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 News

We 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.

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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.

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Fundraisers

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 purchase online by clicking below.

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Lotto Raffle

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!

Craft Fair Vendor Registration