Latest Posts by queka-store - Page 2

Coming from a girl :)

Queer Jews Project Day 25 - Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer

Edie and Thea first met in 1963 on the dance floor of a Greenwich Village restaurant. Edie was a computer programer at IBM, and Thea was a clinical psychologist. They started dating in 1965, and got engaged in 1967. Thea proposed with a circle diamond brooch because a ring would have led to questions and possible outing. Over the next several decades, they lived happy but hidden lives.

But Thea’s health started to decline.

So Edie and Thea got married in 2007 – in Canada – because same-sex marriage wasn’t legal in the United States. Thea died in 2008. Edie found herself with a literal broken heart – and a massive, unjust tax bill.

The Defense of Marriage Act prevented Edie from claiming the spousal inheritance tax exemption that heterosexual couples received. So Edie sued the United States Government. The case eventually made it to the U.S. Supreme Court – and Edie won. DOMA was struck down in 2013, and that set the stage for same-sex marriage to be legalized across the United States two years later.

Queer Jews Project

Part 10: 🦈💥

Suddenly, a colossal predator emerges from the depths - a monstrous, mutated shark, twisted by the volcanic activity. It attacks the group, its razor-sharp teeth narrowly missing Ren's tail. Ren's father, in a moment of bravery, distracts the beast, allowing the family to escape. 😱 #UnderwaterThreat

Part 11: 🩹🙏

The family takes shelter in a small cave, tending to their wounds. Ren's father, injured from the shark attack, reveals an old family secret - a hidden underwater oasis that could save them all. Ren, determined to save his father, sets out to find the mysterious location. 🗺️ #FamilySecrets

Part 12: 🌿🔍

Ren ventures into a dense kelp forest, following a cryptic map left by his ancestors. The forest is filled with bioluminescent creatures and poisonous plants. Ren, using his keen observation skills, navigates the dangerous terrain, discovering hidden clues along the way. 🕵️‍♂️ #AncestralQuest

Renard the sea fox

Part 1: 🦊🎨

In a vibrant underwater world, Renard (or Ren for short), the sea fox, is born into a family of legendary artists. Despite having no limbs, he dreams of creating masterpieces. But his attempts to paint with his tail and teeth are met with laughter and mockery. Feeling defeated, Ren abandons his dreams, just like everyone abandoned him. 💔

So many relationships could be saved if people set their pride aside, apologized, and actually changed their behaviour.

The art of kindness

The art of kindness

🥺❤️

People are truly good at heart. Pain leads to more pain, love eventually leads to more love. There is always a way where love is the leading light for humanity. We all have inherent good god or nature planeted in us. We just need to unlearn anything else, the more people choose love together, the more peace will prevail.

The line most often quoted from Frank’s diary are her famous words, “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” These words are “inspiring,” by which we mean that they flatter us. They make us feel forgiven for those lapses of our civilization that allow for piles of murdered girls – and if those words came from a murdered girl, well, then, we must be absolved, because they must be true. The gift of grace and absolution from a murdered Jew (exactly the gift that lies at the heart of Christianity) is what millions of people are so eager to find in Frank’s hiding place, in her writings, in her “legacy.” It is far more gratifying to believe that an innocent dead girl has offered us grace than to recognize the obvious: Frank wrote about people being “truly good at heart” before meeting people who weren’t. Three weeks after writing those words, she met people who weren’t.

  —  People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present (Dara Horn)

“Every man is two men; one is awake in the darkness, the other asleep in the light.”

— Khalil Gibran

-Rumi

We carry inside us the wonders we seek outside us. Rumi

Pain and hope

In the beginning there were no words, So the cat people only hissed and purred. And when words were created, the first ones were "I" and "you", so there was a sense of unity. And from that many combinations could be made, like saying "you and I".But wherever unity is created, separation is also created. Unity and separation are twin brothers that are often born together. Just as when light appeared, darkness was also created, and in the existence of heat, cold was also defined, and so with the very existence of life, death was also created.Two words make for a poor language! So into the embracing language, a complementary word blended in - the third word in the cat people's language was created:The word "no" was born.So they decided to play with it and found a variety of cool combinations, like "I'm not you" and "you're not me". They didn't stop there and developed it into full-fledged philosophies of life, rich in nuance. With so much momentum they developed almost 9 billion different and varied ways to say it to each other. (Like "I love you" but reversed).For in the beginning, they were just cat people enjoying light and dark, seeking shared ways to deal with heat and cold, hunger and satiety. Perhaps before the sanctity of togetherness there was only enjoyment of the simplicity of life... but togetherness and solitude were created with no way back, and what to do when one cat person says "no" - it dragged on as an endless chain reaction echo that took over the silence... an echo that for some reason, instead of fading away, only grew stronger and stronger... isolating each cat person into a cold, separate trashcan. Licking their wounds and forgetting that the cold began with heat in the first place, and what is heat at all? They went and forgot... "Every Tower of Babel eventually falls" said Lao Tzu. "What nonsense" Einstein replied, and they went back to sleep.

Pain and hope

Intertwined stories of life

Pain and hope

Pain and hope

Pain and hope

We blame society but we are society.

Part 9: 🗺️🌊

Ren realizes they are lost and need to find a new route. He spots an old, weathered map carved into a stone wall. Using his artistic skills, he deciphers the symbols and leads his family through a series of hidden tunnels, avoiding the dangerous lava flows. 🧭 #AncientSecrets

Part 10: 🦈💥

Suddenly, a colossal predator emerges from the depths - a monstrous, mutated shark, twisted by the volcanic activity. It attacks the group, its razor-sharp teeth narrowly missing Ren's tail. Ren's father, in a moment of bravery, distracts the beast, allowing the family to escape. 🥺

Renard the sea fox

Part 1: 🦊🎨

In a vibrant underwater world, Renard (or Ren for short), the sea fox, is born into a family of legendary artists. Despite having no limbs, he dreams of creating masterpieces. But his attempts to paint with his tail and teeth are met with laughter and mockery. Feeling defeated, Ren abandons his dreams, just like everyone abandoned him. 💔

The power of being a HUMAN

Hello my friends 🙏☺️❤️

Sometimes the world seems deeply unfair. People often focus on punishment, guilt, and justice, not realizing they cause even more misery. In psychology, there's a famous triangle: attacker-victim-and the savior. People who save might become the victim of the victim and the attacker of the attacker.

We all are mobile, shifting between these roles throughout our lives.Between black and white, we have all the colors of the rainbow. We're all complicated beings, having both light and shadows of our own. We move along various scales in life - between being a victim, savior, or aggressor; between shadow and light; between justice and compassion; between self-acceptance and self-hate.The solution is being compassionate, firstly inwards to yourself. You might feel anger, jealousy, fear and disgust - congratulations, YOU ARE A HUMAN.

It's so hard to accept the pain that our reality and world is full of... And the temptation to divide into right and wrong, those who should suffer and those who shouldn't... But the truth is that no one should be punished or suffer.As the beautiful African proverb says: "The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth". 🔥

No child, no animal, no group, no patient, no member, no friend should be left alone... The healing of the individual is the healing of society. The healing of a nation is the healing of the world.

It's true, this path isn't easy. It's unknown. But from 300,000 years of human existence, if we choose to believe the theory of science - for more than 99% of humankind's life span we lived in harmony with life and nature. Only in the last 1% of time have we developed so much that we forgot our roots... But the roots of harmony and compassion are always there, therefore we can remember them whenever we're ready to look beyond the known.

Let's explore new paths of life, as individuals full of mutual solidarity - and as groups and humankind. We all are one, this life is short, let's make it the best lives possible for as many people as possible.

Thank you for reading ❤️❤️

Ai inspiration for myself for my next digital painting

Part 6: 🦾🐚As they swim through a narrow tunnel, a massive boulder shifts above them. Ren's quick thinking saves them, but the boulder blocks their path. Using his tail, Ren attempts to move the boulder, but it barely budges. Exhausted and frustrated, he wants to give up. 💔 #ObstaclesAbound

Part 7: Luminescent Coral Polyps 🌿💡 Just when all seems lost, Ren notices a peculiar coral formation pulsating with a soft, mesmerizing light. As he approaches, the coral polyps suddenly extend, creating a glowing pathway through the dark tunnel. The polyps sway gently in the current, as if beckoning Ren to follow their lead. Ren's mother, recognizing the coral's unusual behavior as a sign of hope, encourages him to trust in the guidance of the ocean. With renewed determination, Ren pushes forward, and the boulder slowly moves, revealing a hidden path. 💪 #GlimmerOfHope

Part 8: 🌋💥As they continue their journey, the group encounters a sudden underwater volcanic eruption. Scalding steam and ash fill the water, obscuring their vision. Ren, relying on his instincts, guides his family through the murky depths, narrowly escaping the burning debris. 😰 #NaturalDisaster

Renard the sea fox

Part 1: 🦊🎨

In a vibrant underwater world, Renard (or Ren for short), the sea fox, is born into a family of legendary artists. Despite having no limbs, he dreams of creating masterpieces. But his attempts to paint with his tail and teeth are met with laughter and mockery. Feeling defeated, Ren abandons his dreams, just like everyone abandoned him. 💔

For those of you who like the idea of peer respites, I just want to say these are not the only alternatives to the mainstream psych system :] Here's a big ol' list, and many/most of them are peer-run. I live in America, so a lot of this is US-based, but I've tried to make it as internationally accessible as possible!

I'll start with the live-in options. So ya'll already know about peer respites, if you read my latest post about it. There's a few more similar things out there.

Soteria Houses - More long-term (months+) community homes for folks with lived experience of psychosis/similar extreme states, with peer support, that focus on a humane and person-centered approach. Much more freedom & agency than your traditional group home.

Hurdalsjøen Recovery Center - a "medication-free" (aka medication-optional) psychiatric hospital in Norway. Allows patients to choose whether to stay on or taper/remain off psychiatric drugs. Focused on healthy eating, exercise, and recreational therapy options.

Bethel House - Similar to Soteria Houses, a homelike environment in Japan for people with schizophrenia, etc. that focuses on social reintegration.

Organizations, clubs, groups, etc:

Students With Psychosis - A peer support community with programming for students with psychosis

International Map of Hearing Voices/Intervoice networks - Non=pathological support groups for people who hear voices, see visions, etc. US directory, UK directory.

Clubhouse International - Gives people with mental illness opportunities for friendship, employment, housing, educational, and medical services all in one place. Founded by a group of friends who survived a psychiatric hospital together.

Project LETS - A radical approach to peer support and healing that has a disability justice centered approach, giving people with lived experience a voice and focusing on mutual aid. They provide peer mental health advocates, self-harm prevention, and more.

The Mad Society of Canada: A grassroots community of practice that brings together folks who want to provide non-coercive, ethical, survivor-informed mental health services/policy.

Power to the Plurals: Resources and events for people who identify as plural/multiple/systems.

The Wildflower Alliance: Grassroots peer support, training, and advocacy community based in Massachusetts.

Alternatives To Suicide (Alt2Su): Peer support groups that allow people to talk about suicidal thoughts without fear of being committed to the hospital, etc

Trainings:

Intentional Peer Support = Trauma-informed peer support training

Emotional CPR - Trauma-informed mental health support training program for the layperson

Hearing Voices Curriculum: Targeted towards mental health professionals to better understand the experience of hearing voices. Warning: It's expensive!

Cities that have a particularly awesome way of dealing with folks in crisis/with mental illness/etc:

Geel - a farming community where residents welcome people suffering with severe mental illness/distress into their homes and live with them, share work, etc (Edit: apparently Geel is a small city with like 40,000 people and not a farming community lol, I was misinformed. Thanks to @roxbot for the correction!)

Trieste - a city with a community centered system of care that integrates housing and peer support

Warmlines (generally run by peers) and Crisis Lines that don't call the cops: (Most of these are taken from this post by trans-axolotl on Crisis Lines)

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860, 24/7

BlackLine: 1 (800) 604-5841, has texting options

The Plural Warmline (No number, check the site)

THRIVE: text message line at 313-662-8209, 24/7

Promise Resource Network: (833) 390-7728, 24/7

Project Return Peer Support Network: (888) 448-9777 English or (888) 448-4055 Spanish, hours are Monday through Friday 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM PST and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line: 888-407-4515, hours are 7pm to 9pm EST Monday through Thursday and 7pm-10pm EST Friday through Sunday

Key Consumer Organization: 800-933-5397, hours are 8am - 4:30pm EST, Monday - Friday.

MBRLC Peer Support Line:  877-733-7563, hours are 4 pm-7:45 pm EST every day. 

US Warmline Directory (unlikely to call cops, but check with the individual line first)

Misc:

CommonGround software - A software developed by Dr. Pat Deegan (an individual who was diagnosed with schizophrenia) that allows clients to communicate their needs to their doctors more efficiently to support shared-decision making with medication.

Open Dialogue- An psychosocial approach to psychiatric services that focuses shared decision-making and dialogue between client, providers, and family (if the client wants family involved), and often more minimal use of medication.

Integrative Psychiatry - A holistic form of psychiatry that focuses on nutrition, exercise, therapy, and psychosocial factors, where medication is just an aspect of treatment. US database of integrative psychiatrists here.

I will also give a somewhat honorable mention to Mobile Crisis Teams. They are a fairly new alternative to the usual "call the cops on your local mentally ill person". They are composed of nurses, therapists, social workers, occasionally peer support workers, etc. They hook the individual up with support/resources - which can often mean forced hospitalization/forced treatment FYI - but it is a step up from being killed by cops. Look up "[city] Mobile Crisis Team" to find out if there is one in your city.

A note: Something being on this list =/= it is perfect, just that it is an alternative to what we've got. So don't come at me, lmao. Feel free to add on if you know of anything else!

The Left wants a community where everyone is welcome to be who they want.

The Right wants 'lonerism' where everyone is grinding their lives for shareholders' crumbs.

You are not a bother. You are not a burden. You are not a waste of space. You are not annoying every person you talk to. Your existence matters. Your presence makes a good difference.

Part 2: 🌊💥Disaster strikes when an earthquake shakes the ocean floor, causing rock formations to crumble. Ren's family is in danger, with his sick little brother and dying father unable to escape. The community is in chaos, with no one stepping up to help. 😰

CrisisPart 3: 🙏✨Amidst the turmoil, Ren's childhood friend, a kind-hearted girl fox, encourages him, saying, "You may not be a super fox like your dad, but you will be a super fox like Ren." Her words ignite a tiny spark within him, but Ren still doubts himself. 💭 #FlickerOfHope

Part 4: 🎨💭Desperate to save his family, Ren starts sketching an escape plan with his tail. He pours his heart into the blueprint, but his strokes are shaky and uncertain. As he works, aftershocks cause more rocks to fall, narrowly missing him. 😱 #RaceAgainstTimePart

5: 🌊💪With the blueprint complete, Ren attempts to lead his family to safety. They navigate through a treacherous maze of collapsing caverns and strong currents. Ren's father, weak and frail, struggles to keep up. Ren pushes forward, doubt still weighing heavily on his heart. 😰 #PerilousJourney

Renard the sea fox

Part 1: 🦊🎨

In a vibrant underwater world, Renard (or Ren for short), the sea fox, is born into a family of legendary artists. Despite having no limbs, he dreams of creating masterpieces. But his attempts to paint with his tail and teeth are met with laughter and mockery. Feeling defeated, Ren abandons his dreams, just like everyone abandoned him. 💔

MEET "PİGCASSO"

🎨👍😎🐷🎨