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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2008)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS CEDARR Staffing Change: We are happy to welcome Delina John to her new po sition with the program. Delina is now a counselor in a trainee capacity. For the past two years, she has been working toward becoming a certified counselor. She is a welcome addition to the counseling staff! Ask Raven Raven will answer your questions about problems associated with alco hol, tobacco and other drugs. You can call in your questions to the numbers below or mail them to: Raven P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 Hi, Raven. I have often read a lot of questions that Raven has gotten throughout the years and I really don't have a question. I would like to share about one I had read a while ago. I am not sure if it was a child or an adult who had a concern about their Community Efforts Demonstrating the Ability to Rebuild and Restore Prevention, Outpatient Treatment Feb. 6, Noon Siletz Valley School Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or For more information, call 541-444-8286. Eugene: 541-484-4234 parent. Either way they were talking about their parent and being addicted to drugs and alcohol and if there was any chance that they would be clean someday. I would like to share some hope with them, hopefully they read it, hopefully their parent has already found a way to heal themselves. I myself am a parent and I lived in active addiction for quite some time in my life. It surely isn't anything to be proud of. What I am proud of is that today I am in recovery and I have been for the past six years. I celebrated six years on Jan. 19, 2008. In my addiction, I lost a lot of very dear things to me in my life. The most important is my children were placed in safe homes (family, and that is the best) and that is where they have been for quite some time. I am grateful that they are loving young people. Being an addict just isn't about using drugs. There is a nature in it. It has its own spirit. Being a recovering addict is not an easy journey. It's a choice that is made when enough is enough, it’s being sick and tired of being sick and tired. There are things that come about in the process of finding who you are and what you are without the drug. This is where the spirit of living a different way comes in. For me, my choices, decisions, actions, language, you might add, have not been righteous. However, I have learned on a daily basis to look at myself and lis ten to what it is I am saying and do my very best to make a good choice. I want to add to all of you out there who have found a way to stop using - way to go. You can't do it alone. I have found that behavior is the key here. When the behavior changes, so many other things change. by Lynn Whitlow 8 • Siletz News • and Women’s Transitional 541-444-8286 Salem: 503-390-9494 We hope to see you there! TLC Attitudes of Gratitude February - the month of love ... Now that January is over and most of the resolutions you made, with good inten tion, are pretty much forgotten - or on the back burner - let's put our focus on a similar subject with a different twist - self-love. Not selfish love, the narcis sistic, “I’m the center of the universe” love. Loving ourselves first is important. We cannot fully love others unless we first love and respect ourselves (this usu ally involves a certain amount of self-for giveness and asking others to forgive us). Making bad choices in past years doesn't give us license to wallow in self-pity for the rest of our days. We need to work through the destruction of our past, ask forgiveness and for give ourselves. Then we can begin to work on loving who we are, who we have become. We can move from there to extending love and respect to oth ers. Each of us deserves love and care. Start by caring for yourself physi cally and emotionally. Get some form of exercise daily - swim, go for a walk (take your dog or the kids, it’s good for everyone’.), ride your bike, dance to the oldies or laugh and sweat to Rez- Robics. Whatever you chose to get your heart rate up will help boost your mood and outlook on life and yourself. Take a hot shower or a bubble bath. Go to bed an hour early with a good book and a heating pad. Do something that brings Siletz Tribal A&D Programs you pleasure and joy or something that did that you have neglected for a long time. If you are facing a challenge you are not sure about, instead of talking yourself down with “can'ts,” encourage yourself with “can do’s” and “I'll try’s.” Attitude can make a hig difference. Nurture yourself. Give yourself daily affirmations such as, “I deserve to be loved, by myself and others,” “I am a unique person, I am special!” Give your first Valentine to yourself! Then share lib erally with others you care about. At TLC, residents are learning new ways of being, with themselves and others. Learning to love, respect and be comfortable with themselves is a life long process. They (we) can get positive affirmations from others. This can help if they are sincere and truthful. Internal izing affirmations and giving them to ourselves, however, is most powerful. In recent conversations with residents. I can see progress in their journeys to self-love. It gives me great joy to see TLC residents specifically, and others in gen eral, show that they love themselves and are able to genuinely care about others. We have much gratitude this month for folks who love and support the TLC. Thank you. Sunshine Keck, for the glass drinking glasses. Funny how they seem to break and disappear. Our friend. Special Scott, treated the TLC and Women’s Talking Circle February 2008 to a large bag of shelled almonds, very healthful pumpkin seed granola, and a huge Costco chocolate cake that was so rich we shared it with many others. Natural Resources brought us a wonderful small Christmas tree that was easy to set up. It was a joy to our eyes. Laura Bremner Duarte responded to our plea for crib sheets and shared sev eral with us. Likewise, Darcy Lal brought up a crib sheet, baby wash, diapers and a gift of shampoo and conditioner for TLC residents. Naomi Shadwick also re sponded to our need for crib sheets with an offer to get some if we needed them. Thanks to all of you for your caring! Again, forever and ever, thank you to our faithful volunteers: Alice McCain, Lisa Brown and Linda Olsen. You are the greatest! It would be wonderful if some oth ers of you would come join them in serving this wonderful community re source. Even if you could only do one or two volunteer nights a month it would be helpful. If you think this is something you would like to try, call me at 541 - 444-8238 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1238. We host a potluck dinner and Women’s Talking Circle on the second Wednesday of the month. We invite all women to join us for both or just come to the Talking Circle. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love yourself! Portland: 503-238-1512 In the six years I have been clean, my behavior many times has indicated that I may be getting loaded ... Nah, I haven’t had to go there. I have had to find a strength and a power other than me and other than society. Let him do the work. So be patient, pray, love your par ents, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grand parents, friends, you name them, who ever is suffering with this disease you love them no matter what and you pray! That’s what a lot of people who love me did. There are times in living anew things get so hard and seem hopeless. When you reach out, have a support group and do not pick up, the journey is so walking and so worth living. Jen Dear Jen: Thank you so much for writing. I am honored and happy to share your beautiful words with others in this way. Congratulations on your recovery. As they say up north, “The honor of one is the honor of all.” Please write again anytime and share your experi ence, strength and hope with us. Raven Prevention by Janet Wicklund Now that Delina John has moved into another position in the program, the Prevention coordinator position is open. Hopefully by next issue I will be able to introduce the new person to you. In the meantime, Delina’s preven tion partners are available to youth and families. I want to take this time to rec ognize them and their contributions. They are greatly appreciated by this program for all they do. This group works with the Prevention coordinator as a team, planning and providing activ ities. So, my sincerest gratitude goes to: Alissa Lane - Education Specialist DcAnna Pearl - Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Angela Martin - Housing Rachelle Endres - Housing Apollonia Case - Healthy Family- Healthy Child Project Bekki Lundy - Healthy Family- Healthy Child Project Mark Pullam - 477 Self-Sufficiency Program
