This is a tough time. As the election approaches, our collective psyche is berated with polarized messages amid widespread lack of faith in the political system of the United States. Surviving the next five months will be a balance of tapping in, tapping out, and caring for our fragile personal health and well-being throughout it all. As I took a journey from being raised conservative, to becoming liberal to – not back again – but somewhere in between, I learned a lot about people, their behaviors, “the real work to be done,” posturing, and “being seen as” many things. All of this gave way to a lot of cynicism and crushed expectations until I found myself at a crossroads: to make peace with the world – as is – and to focus on what I truly believe, cutting through all the noise. This talk and reflection rests upon some mantras that I slowly developed to stay true to myself, grounded, and mindful and somewhat protective of myself and my well-being. There will be time to ponder your own mantras, which you can ground yourself in this year and for the years to come.
In addition to her soul searching, Christina is a birth doula (for 13 years and counting) as well as a childbirth educator. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor in Psychology and Theology in 2007 and in 2014 with a Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from Boston University. Her work includes research, advocacy, consulting, and working in the nonprofit space for maternal and child health. Christina has an interest in being a reflective writer (inspired much by Dr. Chmiel) that explores the intersection of faith (Catholicism), self, motherhood, and parenthood with a social justice twist (inspired by former SLU professor, Dr. Julie Rubio). She currently lives in Durham, NC, with her husband, a family physician raised in Hinduism, and their too-cute-for-her-own-good-and-darn-does-she-know-it tabby cat, Stella…who gets whatever she wants. You can read more from Christina on christinagebel.substack.com
Join us
Sunday 7 July
7 p.m. Central Time
For Zoom URL, email me: Markjchmiel@gmail.com
