Dear Feelings Doctor: I live in Santa Barbara and have been reading Noozhawk for months now. I really would like your opinion on an appropriate facility to volunteer for on this Thanksgiving holiday. I do believe there are a few, but I am not familiar with which one would be in need of a helping hand. Thank you, and happy holiday.
— CaryAnn
Dear CaryAnn: This is a wonderful holiday to lend a helping hand, and yes, there are several places in our community that would be so grateful for your assistance.
Whether you wish to serve dinner at the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission or bring blankets to the Transition House, anything that a concerned citizen feels is right … is right.
Begin with the first step: It’s going to be getting a little colder in the following days, so any items that you have at home that would be useful to another person, bag them up and drop them at Casa Esperanza. It also has names of families who would love a turkey dinner at most of the banks in town. The Unity Shoppe is another wonderful facility that always needs nonperishable food items for its shelves.
It’s a great time of year to open our hearts to others. Thank you for being one of those people.
Dear Feelings Doctor: My husband and I are struggling to find a way for our daughter to continue her schooling and perhaps go to college. Neither one of us finished high school, so for us to see our only daughter excited about her grades and her accomplishments but not be able to keep going is hard.
I am sad about it, and my husband and I argue too much because we don’t know what to do. Please talk with us about our problem. Thank you.
— Rosa in Santa Barbara
Dear Rosa: It sounds like you have raised a very hardworking, bright girl. She got that from someone in the family!
There are several avenues to explore, and did you know that every year thousands of dollars in scholarships are offered and many of them go unclaimed because no one has attempted to dig that deep and find these hidden jewels? Do some research with the local colleges and make an appointment with a counselor on staff. He or she will steer you in the proper direction, and absolutely go online with all your questions and for more information.
Where there is a will, there is always a way. Good luck to you and your family.
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Imagine This …
Right now, and in every now-moment, you are either closing or opening. You are either stressfully waiting for something — more money, security, affection —or you are living from your deep heart, opening as the entire moment, and giving what you most deeply desire to give, without waiting.
— Psychotherapist Randi Rabin, M.A., MFTI, answers reader questions in her weekly Noozhawk column, The Feelings Doctor, and can be contacted at randi@noozhawk.com. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Antioch University Santa Barbara and completed her master’s degree in psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute under the guidance of renowned psychologist Stephen Aizenstat, Pacifica’s chancellor and founding president. She has worked as a counselor with a number of local nonprofit organizations and schools. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.