How I'm holding it together

Spoiler alert: I'm not

It’s impossible to say what “holding it together” means in this economy. But every day I get up, go to work, eat, rest, talk to my friends in Gaza, and most days I make art and get outside. It feels as though I’m doing all of it in a thick fog, everything is muted and quiet. But, I think from the outside it probably looks like I’m holding it together. There are a few things that, especially for those immersed in witnessing this despicable, ongoing genocide, I would really encourage.

First, limit your news intake. You don’t need to see every single body, you don’t need to read every single headline with fresh new horrors. Big news will get to you. Every time you’re inundated with terrible bad news it takes from you. It takes your energy and your capacity, and you NEED those things to keep going.

Next, and I cannot recomend this enough, go touch grass. Get into nature, and don’t take your phone with you. Literally even 5 minutes just standing next to a tree noticing the patterns in the bark, whether there are any insects hiking through the crevices, what sorts of plants grow directly in the place where the earth swallows the roots. Spring is here and nature is changing rapidly. If you’re in a city, notice which trees are budding, whether the leaves or flowers are coming out first. How many different kinds of plants can you see growing where they "aren’t supposed to”?

Finally, do something for yourself, as often as you can. That will mean something different for everyone. For me, it means that I take some time a couple of nights a week to play a cozy video game (currently loving Strange Horitculture), and once a week I go to a trivia night with some friends. I’ve been forcing myself to do these things even when I don’t really feel like it and would rather hole-up and doomscroll, and I never regret it.

These are the things that I feel are helping me “hold it together,” such as I am.

urgent updates

• Wafa’s family needs contributions ASAP so they are not evicted. Please help her 6 children stay indoors while they clean out the bombed remains of their home.

• Heba and her family are very near to the northern border in the Gaza Strip and need money to travel somewhere safer now that the bombing has begun again.

• Fatima is one of the very first Palestinians I began to speak to an promised to help. I finally heard from her that she and her family are still alive for the first time since Israel began their bombing once again. They are in the Al-Mawasi area, which in the last year has become incredibly overcrowded, as it’s one of the areas folks were told to evacuate to from all over. The Israeli Occupation Forces are now bombing in this densly populated area. Her campaign has recieved $10 in the last 2 months.

raffles and online fundraisers

1. Eman & Family -- 2. Patchwork Embroidery -- 3. Incense Holders -- 4. "what the birds say over there" -- 5. Buttons -- 6. Motif Bundle -- 7. Custom Pin Set

1. Eman & Family — Community Giveaway for Beloved Eman! Eman and her family have been repeatedly displaced over the last 17 months! Their home has been destroyed, and they urgently need support to survive the ongoing genocide. Please contribute to Eman and her family! (3/22-4/5, winners notified 4/6)

   1. For every $5 contributed to Eman, you get 1 entry. There is no limit to the number of entries. If you win a bundle, you will no longer be eligible to win additional bundles. There will be one winner for every bundle.

   2. All prizes are virtual and/or shippable in the so-called "united states."

   3. Contribute at: gofundme.com/f/4eman

   4. Detailed descriptions of each bundle, and how to participate in the raffle are available at bit.ly/CommunityGiveawayforEman

2. Patchwork Embroidery — These are linen scraps patchworked together and then quilted and embroidered with “resistance is the spirit of freedom.” This is a wall hanging, and there are two loops on the back for this purpose

   1. $10 per 🎟️ (unlimited entries)

   2. Venmo @ Lindsep
      🕊️Comment “freedom”
      ✉️Can ship anywhere in the US
      ✈️Will ship internationally if you are willing to cover shipping.
      ** if you need a different method to enter, message me!

   3. I’m going to close the Raffle April 5th!

3. Incense Holders — Choose one of the incense holders. Maple (left) or white oak (right), both with black walnut bridge. The incense holders are inspired by the bridge of a violin (the creator’s father was a luthier). Shipping cost covered.

   1. How to enter: Venmo $5 per entry to me (Michael-Ferrin-6) or donate directly (link here) and DM a screenshot to [@]Ferrin.woodworking on IG.

   2. Deadline for entries is April 4th. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

4. “what the birds say over there” — a beautiful ink and painted portrait. There is only one, DM [@]madsnmama on IG to purchase.

5. Buttons — 20 button designs, in large (2.5”) or small (1.25”).

   1. Large: $5 +shipping

   2. Small: $3 or 2/$5 + shipping

   3. DM [@]macsexposure on IG to order

6. Motif Bundle — A black tote bag with red stitching of mountains, water, and trees. A grey beanie with orange stitching of a chicken. A resistance sticker. A kitty watermelon enamel pin.

   1. $10 per entry to one of these families in Gaza (multiple entries encouraged):

      1. The Albatarikh Family

      2. Save Khaled Family

   2. DM a screenshot of your donation to [@]sleepyjapanesey in IG to enter

   3. A winner will be drawn on Thursday, April 10th!!
      (delivery within U.S. only)

7. Custom Pin Set — Turn a dozen of your faves into a pin collection, or make a matching set for your reading group, or pick titles from your to-be-read stack and give yourself a little reward for each book you read :)

   1. Entries: $7 each – or $20 for three entries

   2. To enter: Donate to @thesameerproject & send your receipt to [at]groupforreading_pdx, OR, message for Venmo/$app
      Entries accepted until 5pm PST April 30th

   3. For the winner’s pins: there must be a decent quality image available of any cover you want; an image can be sent. The pins will be mailed to you by USPS, no charge for shipping. No international shipping, sorry. The dozen will be made in a single batch and you’ll get them all at once. Production will take a week or two, once covers are selected.

merch highlight

Get you and your comrades matching ACAB hoodies.

All proceeds (20%) go to families in Gaza.