Are you a survivor?

Say YES! And sign-up to begin your 21 Days of Wind River Wonderment on Thursday January 21st!  

We will email you daily well-being topics and easy action ideas to help you gain additional insights into your own self-care.   This on-line, self paced program is full of opportunities for self-exploration, tips for self renewal and include a splash of wonderment!  We will also sprinkle in interactive opportunities each week via Zoom for those seeking a little more heart to heart connection!

• Click here for details and our sign up form. 
• Open to all cancer survivors – because who doesn’t need a little reset and joy this year!
• And this retreat experience is provided at no cost to you, thanks to our wonderful grant and individual supporters!

​New thoughts may “require that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world’s gifts.”  - Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders

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While our normal focus is on cancer survivor support, homelessness is becoming a big problem in Charlotte right now - and there is potential for it to get a whole lot worse.  (There is currently a moratorium on evictions due to Covid, but it is scheduled to expire on January 31st.)  
 
This Friday, January 15th at 8pm, a tribute benefiting RoofAbove* will be streamed live and include over 20 bands and musicians from the region!

Please help us raise funds to help those dealing with especially tough times right now.
 
To donate to the Go Fund Me for this benefit:   Donate Here
To watch the live music this Friday at 8pm go to:  Love thy Neighbor Benefit
 
The Wind River Team
 
 *  RoofAbove is there day in and day out helping people with food and a warm place to stay.  RoofAbove is the new name for Men's Shelter of Charlotte and Urban Ministry who've recently joined forces.

By Special Guest and Wind River Friend, Maureen Marhayla Mischinski

How are you feeling? Yesterday when I woke up and saw the news of what had been going on in our nation's capitol, and then saw more and more pictures and reports, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. I began binge eating my leftover holiday m&m's, until I remembered that I have better coping skills than that-lol! So I sealed up the candy bag and sat to meditate for a bit. Whew-much better! I ended up writing a post for Instagram (@maureen.marhayla) about ways to cope with overwhelm, and thought I'd share it here too.

Strategies For Coping When You Are Feeling Overwhelmed

Here are some things to try if you are feeling overwhelmed:

• Take three deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.
• Drink some water.
• Hold a calming stone, such as rose quartz (my favorite) or yellow onyx (my cat, Pachakitty's favorite).
• Light blanket—Visualize yourself wrapped up in the softest, comfiest blanket you can imagine. It is just the right weight to make you feel secure, just the right temperature to make you feel cozy. Imagine that this blanket is infused with light, and this light saturates your body, all the way down to your cells. Bask in the comfort of this blanket of light for as long as you need.
• Move the excess energy out of your body. Ways to do this include:
• Blow the excess energy out with a long, whistling exhale
• Move your body—walk, dance, run, jump, yoga, tai chi
• Talk with a trusted friend
• Create art
• Spend time outside in nature
• Wash it off—take a bath, shower, or wash your hands
• Visualize the excess energy flowing down your body and draining out of your feet
• Place your hand on your heart chakra, in the center of your chest, and whisper “peace”

Once you have released some of the intensity of the overwhelming feelings, you will be better able to pay attention to what your emotions are wanting you to know. And since your emotions are messages from your soul to guide you on your path, being able to receive their messages is a powerful asset in leading your best life.

Each year we gather to remember those we have lost.  Dave wrote and read these beautiful words -

As we begin this brand new year it's customary to look forward to the possibilities ahead of us and contemplate who we will become in the year ahead.  But before we rush ahead into the future it is important for us to take time to pause and remember the people we've lost in 2020.  People that, in some cases, we only knew for a short time and were lucky enough to meet and in other cases, people we've known a lifetime.

Each of the names we read was a light in the universe, a person that touched those around them and left an beautiful mark. We read these names aloud tonight to honor their family who miss them and to honor their memory and let them know that they are not forgotten.  Each name is a person, a lifetime of adventures and memories and each person will be greatly missed...


Then we read all the names of those we have lost, pausing along the way to remember stories and cherished moments, and often memories filled with laughter!   This year we also remember those that passed in 2020 including
 
Deb Petty, Joe Miller, Bernadette Reidy Zielinski, Earl Gillion, Nadine Gawlak, Debbi Ballard, “Rocky” Rocco Miralia, George Wolfberg, Kelly Reed Young, Gordon Hinesley, Janet Lev, Kathy Andersen Roberts, Rebecca (Becky) Schafer, Cynthia D’Oottavio, Georganne Narron, Tommy Mitchell, Angelina McIntyre, Ginny Chasteen, Doris Castevens, Sarah Debord, Ann Davis, Tom Womble, Debra Bailey, Andrea Greenwall, Harvey Mueller, and Ginger Shinn of Smokey Mntn Lodge.

​With love,

Shannon, Dave and Cheryl
Wind River