CeDAR Connects Alumni Newsletter

November 17th, 2022 | Volume 18

We are on the heels of what is sure to be a bustling and chaotic holiday season (aren't they all?) so here is a counter-intuitive hot take for how to best prepare for the months ahead: REST! For virtually every illness and ailment from the common cold to post-surgery, there is one consistent advisement in the doctor's orders: rest. Quite the contrary for folks who are recovering from addiction. The tall order for us is PHP, IOP, CCG, get a home group, get a sponsor, get a recovery coach, do 90 in 90, find a therapist, add a trauma therapist for good measure and a psych-i-a-trist, too! Whew.

While the aforementioned is paramount to sustained recovery, we do have to mindfully seek balance and rest. Think of rest less as snoozing your alarm until 11am and more as renewal, nourishment and restoration. We expend so much energy unnecessarily and often unintentionally. A large part of reclaiming your energy is to first cultivate the awareness to know where you're spending it. Then, intentionally utilizing your agency to choose where you do want to spend it because after all, it is yours. This looks like listening to your body, not pressuring yourself to do "all things things," not attaching your worth to productivity, setting and honoring your boundaries. This, my friends, is not only true self-care but recovery. Have a soberly happy Thanksgiving!

Tried and True:

11 years we have been offering CeDAR's Gratitude Meeting on Thanksgiving Morning. This is a beloved meeting many alumni look forward to every year as it sort of serves as a mile marker for reflection. It is an opportunity to offer gratitude for the gift that has allowed us to begin again, recovery. This special meeting welcomes CeDAR residents, alumni, staff and families. It will be held on the morning of the 24th from 10a-11:30a and is an open-house style format so please feel free to come and go as your schedule allows for.

Shelf Indulgence:

Staying sober one book at a time. Book club just got a little more official now that it has a name and a tagline. The group is finishing up their current read and already has their sights on what's next: Be Here Now by Ram Daas. Also in the lineup is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. While we're at it, I'm going to toss Brene Brown into the pot (any book of hers will more than do, ammirte?) for consideration. We will have loaner books available for anyone who would like to join but might not want to commit to purchasing a book. We encourage you to join a group, no matter if you have read the book or not, because at the end of the day, it's about connection and community which is sure to be found here. Wednesdays at 6:45p on Zoom. Check CeDAR Central.

Dropping Temps Sees Rising Needs:

Thanks to a dedicated alumni team, the clothing & toiletry pantry has never looked better. Its facelift came at a time when we are seeking to fill the increasing needs of our community members for warm clothing. Please consider donating new or gently used clothing items including coats, hats and gloves and socks to the CeDAR pantry. Click the button below for a full list of needs and how to donate.

Pantry Needs

Sober not Somber:

In this feature we highlight upcoming activities within the recovery community. If you have any recovery-related events to put on the calendar, reach out!

11/19 10:30am: Pen2Paper writing workshop with Jean Unger through HardBeauty. Register here.
11/19 4pm: Friendsgiving at The Phoenix: Just bring a side and the rest is covered!
11/24: Gobble 'til you Wobbler with Advocates for Recovery. Spend Thanksgiving with a community of other recovering people.
12/10 4pm: Trivia Night at The Phoenix: Would love to get a couple of teams together for this!

Meeting Updates:

We have added a new in-person alumni meeting (name TBD) on Mondays from 6:30pm-7:30pm in the lecture hall at CeDAR.
Efforts towards transitioning the Thursday alumni meeting to a hybrid format have been paused, We are going to pursue a new AV setup and will reassess in early December. Stay tuned.
There will be no formal evening alumni meeting on Thanksgiving evening. That being said, we can open the Zoom room for anyone who might want to meet and fellowship. Let me know!

Service Saves Lives:

What you share in a meeting may be exactly what someone needs to hear to keep trudging for another day. Here are some ways to share and be of service:

1. We are in need of alumni speakers for IOP groups on 12/7 on the topic of relapse prevention. Group times are 9a-10a (V), 1p-2p (V), 5:30p-6:30p (V/IP)

2. Alumni speakers are always welcome to the virtual stage for CeDAR Night Live on Saturdays at 7pm. Share your experience, strength and hope with the community. 9-12mo is suggested.

*V: virtual IP: in-person