Shannon's Corner

  SHANNON’S CORNER Raise up the heat! July   has been hot, hot, hot! It has been a hot month for providing care through debriefs.  Three family debriefs with kids ranging from five to fifteen years old along with a one-year-old and two individual online debriefs. Plus facilitating one member care training in-person and one online transitional stress training. The countries that have been served just this month are Uganda, Denmark, Malaysia, Togo, Indonesia, Panama, USA, and Bangladesh. It is truly amazing to be a small part in caring for the kids and teenagers and many times it is trying to give them back their voice, power, and relationship that has been stolen, shut down, or broken because of their experiences, relationships, and transitions they find themselves in.  Our personhood is made up of  our voice  – our identity, essence, the expression of who I am;  our power  – choice, options, our self-control, our limits, and responsibili...

  Cultivating a mindset of arriving well in your passport country takes intentionality, energy, and patience. A positive and adaptive mindset and facilitate a smoother transition, ensuring that you arrive well and are ready to embrace the next season of your journey.   What are some of the components to cultivating this mindset of arriving well?    Have a posture of learning. Be open to new perspectives and ways of doing things in your passport country. Be willing to ask for help. Have a mindset of gratitude in appreciating the experiences you had overseas and the opportunity for new experiences. Be patient with yourself and with others as you reintegrate and readjust which takes time. Show kindness to yourself and to others to you navigate this hurdle of re-entry.   What does arriving well look like and feel like for you?

The imagery of an air plant is a great way to look at rootlessness. Air plants adapt to the environment around them where they find themselves. Many air plants are rootless and are blown to and fro by the wind. The air plants that do have a root that shoots out, attaches itself to the tree or building it is sitting on, so it is not so easily blown away. Air plants receive its nutrients from the rain, air particles, and light to live.   Rootlessness is having no basis of stability and is focused on what you lack. You encounter unexpected and unwanted things where you feel not in control. Simple tasks in a new place can cause you to feel rootless especially if you think you should know how to accomplish the task. Your fears and worries can become magnified or intensified. The lack of community and belonging, where you are known causes you to feel rootless.   What does stability look like for you?    Gratitude is a wonderful stabilizer.