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Anti-bullying
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It Gets Better, for Aiden
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- Saving Our Lives – Transgender Suicide
- Teen Suicide Prevention
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- Teen Suicide Prevention – books
- Youth Suicide Prevention
- Crisis Centres in Canada
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- 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
- Depression Resources
- Teen Suicide Prevention
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- Article from THE WHIG-STANDARD, Kingston, Ontario
- R.I.P. Aiden Grimlock
- Suicide Prevention in Trans Youth
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- Hate Crime & Trans Media Watch
- Aiden Grimlock, Facebook
- I want to share with you a touching story of Aiden Rivera Schaeff, on the first anniversary of his death. HB 235
- Stand Up! – Don't Stand for Homophobic Bullying
- Chaz Bono
- Dawson College: No to Violence / Non à la violence
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Aiden Rivera Schaeff 
Bullying resources and articles:
http://www.stompoutbullying.org/
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
http://www.education.com/topic/school-bullying-teasing/
http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/RG-bullying_harassment_schoolbasedviolence.html
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/03/24/the-tipping-point-on-anti-lgbt-bullying/
http://socialsmarts.wordpress.com/category/bullying-and-school-violence/
http://www.burgessct.com/2011/02/bullycide-many/
The poem Desiderata in one of my all time favorites. My high school Spanish teacher gives it our to all of her seniors and asks them to reflect on the words as they grow older and experience life. It means more to me with each passing year. ~ Heather
Desiderata
— written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s —
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
It’s always important for us to be the best person we can, to remain true to ourselves, and know that we all have our contribution in the world to make – whether large or small. ~ Heather ❤
Two versions of the same poem:
"What Constitutes Success" by Bessie Stanley, Lincoln Sentinel, Nov. 30, 1905
"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty or failed to express it; who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had; whose life was an inspiration; whose memory a benediction."
The version most of us know by heart and have inaccurately attributed to RW Emerson:
Success
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
The poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann is one of my all time favorites. My high school spanish teacher gives it to all her seniors and reminds them to reflect on the messages inside this poem as they grow and experience life. It means more and more to me as I get older.
Desiderata
by Max Ehrmann
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore, be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham,
drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Hope is saying Yes to Life
“Where there is life there is hope” is confirmed over and over in our counselling and research.
The stories of anguish and triumph we hear show repeatedly that hope begins with a decision to survive. It is like getting married to the adventure of life, for better or for worse. Saying Yes is a decision that I am in for the full trip. Saying Yes to life is much different than saying “maybe”.
In a delightful book entitled One Hundred Over One Hundred, 100 centenarians share their views on life. They said yes to life for over 100 years. Most of us will be pleased to hear that people who live to be 100 are not necessarily non-smoking vegetarians who have been happily married to one person for 80 years. There are those who were pioneer health nuts and those who had been addicted to tobacco for eight decades. Some had recovered from cancer three times; some had undone their “I do’s” four times! What was common was that these people had a quiet gusto, a non-aggressive determination, a soft fortitude … a relentless involvement with life… they loved life and they had a passion… music, work, sports, children, literature and it was always accompanied with a concern for those beyond themselves. Over those 100 years they
witnessed amazing changes and they were at times disabled, disenfranchised and discouraged.
They were proud to have survived the 1918 Spanish influenza that took nearly 40 million lives, not to mention surviving two world wars. They were neither embarrassed to love nor ashamed to be tough.
Saying Yes to life then, is not only about surviving. It is about engaging in the life that we have.
It is one thing to be alive physically; another to be alive emotionally and spiritually. In a conference presentation a young mom shared a turning point in her handling of her son’s illness. Each morning she struggled to go to the bedside of her seven year old, newly diagnosed with leukemia. Well aware of the poor prognosis and ambivalent about the demands of the treatments, daily she feared she would be unable to hold back the tears. Entering the room one morning she found her son beaming with a smile as he put his pencil down having finished circling his choices from the kids’ menu. She inquired as to his happy look. His reply was, “Wow, tomorrow I am going to get Fruit Loops for breakfast.” From that moment on, she decided if he lived each day with joy, perhaps she too could treasure the special time they would have. If he could say
Yes to life, so could she.
Aids and Its Metaphors suggests that “the generic rebuke to life and to hope is AIDS”. Certainly it is the condition which is thought of as “the testing ground for the undauntedness of the human spirit”. Yet studies have illustrated that despairing circumstances are not synonymous to a despairing attitude. Joanne Keen, author of one study, wrote that initially, “Hope teetered on a precipice than plummeted with traumatic change smashed their lives against an outcropping of cruel and unfair circumstances.” People spoke first of how hope and been smashed, then of how it was rebuilt in a deeper way – away that clarified values, relationships and priorities. Somehow they said Yes to life.
What is little understood is what it takes to say Yes to life. Why are young people opting for No to life at alarming rates? Answers are not simple. Each person, each culture is complex. Perhaps each of us can begin by asking, “Have I said Yes to life? Not just to being here but to livingfully? Have I put any conditions on my Yes?” Perhaps we can also ask “In what way might I contribute to someone else having hope – to them saying Yes to life?”
http://www.ualberta.ca/HOPE/programs/counsel.html
“Maths neither taught us to inhale Oxygen and exhale Carbon dioxide, or to live or die. But it gives every reason to hope that every problem has a solution.”
“When you can’t pour water out of your boot with a hole in it, you need to step back and see the answer right at your feet.”
Until
Author Unknown
The Present Until Michael’s Story Inspiration Quotes Inspiration Poems
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are.
After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire.
The truth is there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with … and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting ..
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer..
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like no one’s watching.
The Harm Reduction Coalition (Canada)
http://www.harmreduction.org/article.php?id=84
Four Pillars Drug Society (Vancouver, B.C. Canada) http://vancouver.ca/fourpillars/ (Trans youth welcoming)
Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse (harm reduction & youth) http://www.ccsa.ca/2006%20CCSA%20Documents/ccsa-11340-2006.pdf
Harm reduction, alcohol and youth – it works http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/youthissues/1046349581.html
(Addictive Behavior Research Center at the University of Washington, National Advisory Council on Drug Abuse for the National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Alateen & Al-Anon Family Groups Intl: Hope and help for those affected by a loved ones’ addiction http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/alateen.html (for teens & youth) http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/
Drug Policy Alliance Network
http://www.drugpolicy.org/reducingharm/
New Democratic Party (NDP) Canada
http://www.ndp.ca/press/siksay-tables-bill-to-protect-transsexual-transgender-people
Teens, Youth and Drug Abuse (U.S.)
http://www.drugabuse.gov/infofacts/HSYouthtrends.html
Check it out in iTunes podcasts – Teen Esteem Council Podcast. There is some good stuff in here.
https://aidenriveraschaeff.com/2011/04/06/a-story-with-an-important-message/
http://pride.barackobama.com/page/content/lgbthome
http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/alateen.html
http://canadianharmreduction.com/links.php?action=display&category=Youth
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/
http://www.ftmguide.org/
http://www.transyouth.com/