January 6, 2021/by Lesley Friedland and the FamilyKind Team
Thank you to everyone who contributed to our year-end Embrace A Family Campaign. Because of your generosity and kindness, we will be able to help more families during these challenging times.
“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”
– Jackie Chan
Loving-kindness is Our Key to Survival
by Lesley Ann Friedland, a family law attorney and FamilyKind’s Executive Director.
Ahhh… 2021 is here… finally. With a long awaited turn of the calendar, we are exhausted, but not defeated, continuing to work towards a healthy future. Each one of us, and united together, continuing to combat a common foe, so that all of us can emerge better and stronger. The slightest sliver of light has been carrying us through even the darkest days of this ugly, global pandemic and continues to show us the way – that glimmer takes the form of loving-kindness.
We may hail from dissimilar parts of world, we may practice varying customs, our definition of family may differ from that of our neighbor’s, however, we all survive because of acts of loving-kindness. We are truly one world family, huddling together (outside – with masks – six feet away) supporting each other.
Since the beginning of time, loving-kindness, expressed either individually or collectively, has been a key to our survival. This is no less true today, as evidenced by individuals reporting to work at the grocery store so that people can get the food that they need; janitors working in nursing homes making sure that everything is as clean as possible; transportation workers facing deadly consequences to make sure that essential workers can get to their jobs; medical teams risking their lives in our hospitals to save others; election workers toiling tirelessly to assure that our elections proceed safely; citizens protesting so we do not lose sight of the fact that the rights of all must be honored and respected; EMTs, police officers and fire fighters running into harm’s way to save people they have never met; teachers learning a whole new way of communicating so that they can reach their students; scientists working through the night to develop life-saving vaccines; volunteers leaving the safety of their homes to make sure that others are fed and clothed; environmentalists continuing their clarion call to alert us about the importance of a taking care of our earth; the entire FamilyKind team working overtime to make sure families are supported through this crisis, and finally parents living together or separately, stretched so thin, but holding it together to provide some normalcy for their children in the face of utter calamity.
I leave you with one of my favorite videos – because love is love and kindness will get us through …https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/03/watch-this-brilliant-ad-council-x-ray-skeleton-video-about-love-video.html
Wishing you hope, health and loving-kindness in all of your days.
Upcoming FamilyKind Happenings
Friday, January 15: Divorce Recovery Group Starts
Divorce is a time of upheaval and crisis, which can be traumatic. This six-week course, for women only, will provide guidance and a road map to help navigate this transition with tools for grounding oneself through divorce. Tap into inner resources to manage and process the emotional roller coaster. Gain increased awareness and insight about relationship issues to develop a healthy post-divorce life by turning the divorce crisis into a time of healing and personal growth.
The sessions will be held on Friday mornings from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM. $60 for six sessions with financial aid available. For more information and to enroll contact Barbara Bennett at 646-389-8020.
Saturday, January 16: Return of Our Popular Zoom Parenting Class
Back by popular demand, FamilyKind’s Zoom Parenting Class will run for seven weeks from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM Eastern. An adaptation of the STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) Program, the class will teach parents skills that will last a lifetime. Class topics include: understanding yourself and your child, listening and talking to your child, helping children cooperate, and much more. These valuable and easy-to-learn skills strengthen us to become the best version of ourselves as parents.
There is a $35 fee for the entire seven week series. Scholarships are available. For more information and to register, click here.
Monday, January 25, Unique Separation and Divorce Issues for LGBTQI Parents
Our next Peer-to-Peer webinar will be a special extended event on Monday, January 25, 1 PM to 2:30 PM. The focus will be on LGBTQ legal trends and updates related to parenting, separation and divorce. Check our website for updates.
There is no charge to attend the Peer-to-Peer webinars thanks to the generous support of our sponsors OurFamilyWizard and Soberlink.
Tuesday, January 26: ACOD Support Group Starts
Parental divorce can be deeply disruptive to young adults and have a significant impact on how their adult lives evolve. There is a false message from our culture that divorce does not really impact adult children because they may be away at college, living on their own, or even married with their own children.
This Adult Children of Divorce (ACOD) Support Group is for those who were 18 or older when their parents divorced. Group facilitators, who have experienced ACOD, will address the challenges and implications in a supportive, virtual setting. The Group will meet for 6 consecutive weeks, each Tuesday evening, starting January 26, 5:30–7:00 PM. $90 for six sessions with financial aid available. For more information and to enroll click here.
Thursday, March 11, FamilyKind’s 9th Annual Awards Benefit & Virtual Symposium
Join us for our Virtual Symposium (2:00 – 5:30 PM) and 9th Annual Awards Benefit (Awards: 5:45– 6:30 PM). Our symposium – GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES IN FAMILY LAW – will feature expert voices from around the world, representing diverse perspectives and specialities, addressing their regions’ adaptations to support families through divorce and separation during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Our awards benefit will recognize the Hon. Jacqueline Silbermann (Retired) and Philip Katz, Esq. Additionally, a special presentation will be made to the Hon. Evelyn Frazee, J.S.C. (Retired). Please click here for more attendee details and sponsorship information.
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