Cristol O’Loughlin
Amidst a global pandemic, I had the great fortune to witness the incredible generosity of the human spirit.  Donors, volunteers, interns, partners, suppliers, consultants ~ working together ~ generating thousands of acts of compassion in service to our community of women. There were so many miracles for ANGEL AID in 2020, so many generous and heartfelt acts of kindness, so many moments of relief for our Rare Mothers that it is impossible to list them all. 

Pamela Alma Weymouth

It’s common wisdom that you need to be pushed to the brink to embrace change. For me my brink came before children, in my mid-thirties, in form of a stomach ache that would not quit. That plus the death of a dear friend and a rough bout of insomnia forced me to begrudgingly accept that yoga, meditation and mindfulness might have something to teach me. 

Padma Gordon

We had an intimate group this week which was sweet. This group is a time to drop in and tend to yourself as a rare mother. It takes a commitment of time and energy which may be challenging when you are constantly updating to the kind of care that your child needs along with developmental shifts as they grow. Your child is a fluidly changing and continuously moving target which may be overwhelming at times. Just when you think you’ve got their care dialed in, bam! Something changes with their health or they outgrow the way you’ve been relating to them. It’s a lot to navigate. 

Pamela Alma Weymouth

If you told me twenty years ago that I needed to practice more self-compassion I’d probably have laughed and said right, and I’ll eat tofu and start wearing clogs too. 

Pamela Alma Weymouth, MFA, MSW

Every New Year’s Eve I like to burn things. That is to say I like to engage in a ritual that I learned in Mexico on a beach around a campfire.

Padma Gordon

As a Rare Mother your family counts on you in huge ways which means it’s important that you find ways to nourish and care for yourself. By the way, caring for yourself IS caring for your family. How can you possibly show up in all of the ways you need to if you are not tending to yourself? You can’t.

Padma Gordon

There are so many moments where we may feel like God or the Universe has forsaken us. Maybe it’s a moment where as a Rare Mother you’ve made a mistake (and because you’re human, it will happen) a mistake that could have very real consequences like losing services that your child absolutely needs and you panic. What can you do? Where can you turn? 

Padma Gordon

The truth is that without Faith life is harder. Moving forward without Faith requires a lot of muscling through, especially for Rare Mothers. Our Faith Group last Tuesday was powerful and we talked about how Rare Mothers need each other’s companionship and how having these relationships bolster one’s faith.

Padma Gordon

What is Faith and how does it serve us?

How do we cultivate it? In our Faith Group for Rare Mothers, we are exploring these questions together in a safe space. We are sharing deeply from our hearts and listening attentively to each other.