Kind and gentle reader: As you read this post, I am somewhere on the road on my way to Oregon, or maybe I’ve already arrived. This is a trip we make every other summer, when my whole tiny family (Eric and both dogs) makes the 1200 mile trip to a house on the Oregon Coast where we stay for anywhere from two weeks to two months. This summer, it’s two months. A good friend is staying at our house in Colorado to tend the garden. As I’ll be on vacation and not online as much as usual, these Monday posts will most likely be shorter. Feel free to share links in the comments of anything I missed.

1. On Being Worthy | Cody Coach Dana Falsetti. Dana Falsetti believed she was limited by her body her entire life. Now, she is doing what she once thought to be impossible. This is a yoga body.

2. This John Mulaney bit nails how rape culture makes the world less safe for women.

3. A Rise in Mediterranean Deaths. This is so sad, but important to be aware of. “Over eight days in May 2016, nearly 1,000 people drowned in the Central Mediterranean. The founder of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), Christopher Catrambone, spoke about the rising death toll in the central Mediterranean, driven by migrant drownings.”

4. Visible mending as an art form. Makes me want to put holes in stuff on purpose.

5. A Gentle Warrior’s Manifesto to End Busyness. I probably shared this already when it was first published, but it’s worth revisiting.

6. Pema Chödrön on how to enjoy life. “In two weeks, Lion’s Roar will publish Pema Chödrön: A Special Collector’s Edition; you can pre-order it now. [I did!] The special publication features some of Pema’s most powerful teachings, a first-of-its-kind biography, and an exclusive interview with Pema, conducted at her home, Gampo Abbey, in Nova Scotia. Read a preview of that conversation, in which Pema talks about what it means — and why it’s important — to enjoy our lives.”

7. If you ever get stuck in worry, READ THIS from Jamie Greenwood.

8. Grace VanderWaal: 12-Year-Old Ukulele Player Gets Golden Buzzer – America’s Got Talent 2016, my new favorite singer-songwriter-uke player, and she’s only 12 years old. I got on YouTube and listened to some of her other stuff, and she’s dreamy.

9. I was never raped but….

10. I feel like my brain is a jerk from Adam J. Kurtz. Mine too.

11. The True Story of the First Black Woman to Ever Run for President. “Meet Shirley Chisholm, the woman who survived assassination attempts and battled racism to become the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972.”

12. Dad And Son Rescued 40 Dogs Left Behind During The Flood. To be honest, I can barely look at the pictures included with this post or think about it for too long. It devastates me to think of these animals being left behind, how scared and lonely, how many there were who probably didn’t get saved. But, I’m sharing this post because it includes a link to help take care of these dogs, and I want to celebrate this dad and son.

13. Michael Franti & Spearhead – Good to Be Alive Today (Acoustic Remix). “This song is to remind all of us of the good in the world, on the days when our souls are rocked by all of the bad news that surrounds us. A reminder to be grateful for all we have, at the same time, to tenaciously stand up for things in life that serve the greater good getting one step closer to a world where everyone can say “it’s good to be alive today.'”

14. People Are In Love With This Groom’s Reaction To Seeing His Bride Walk Down The Aisle. Really sweet.

15. Mandatory Lazy Days. My only problem with this idea is she recommends it only “maybe once a quarter.” I say why not once a week? A real actual full on sabbath day.

1. The DNA Journey. “It’s easy to think there are more things dividing us than uniting us. But we actually have much more in common with other nationalities than you’d think.” I’ve been wanting to get my DNA tested, and this only video made me want it even more.

2. Big Dog Tip Toes So He Doesn’t Wake Sleeping Cat. One of the cutest things ever. And I find it almost impossible to believe, but Redd is still available for adoption!

3. This hilarious cartoon from The Oatmeal. #same

4. Recipes I want to try: Old Fashioned Donuts, Stephen’s No-Bake Mug Brownies, strawberries and cream biscuits, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Scones, and Magic Cookie Bars. I swear I don’t have a particularly strong sweet tooth this week, at least no more than usual.

5. Here Is The Powerful Letter The Stanford Victim Read Aloud To Her Attacker. “A former Stanford swimmer who sexually assaulted an unconscious woman was sentenced to six months in jail because a longer sentence would have ‘a severe impact on him,’ according to a judge. At his sentencing Thursday, his victim read him a letter describing the ‘severe impact’ the assault had on her.” In stark contrast, see what the rapist’s father had to say. In related news, This is how a lifetime of potentially dangerous situations affects every woman.

6. This is the most unflattering picture of me I have ever seen…So why am I sharing it with you? from Jenna Galbut. “People may assume things or judge us based on our appearances, But no one knows our struggles, no one knows what we’ve been through or how we’ve grown from the challenges.” This, just everything about this. In related news, So I’ve Gained Weight. SO WHAT? Word.

7. A big Christian rock star just came out in this stunningly emotional letter. We’ve got to start giving people the space to be who they really are, especially when who they are in NO WAY harms us.

8. Work of the Heart, such a beautiful story. “This ‪Boston‬ high school student immortalized all 411 of his graduating senior classmates with a drawing of each one of them — surprising the school by hanging their portraits along the hallway before classes.”

9. This Viral Facebook Rant Shows the Disconcerting Way Sizing Has Shrunk In Two Years. Grrrr…

10. An eyewitness account of the horrific attack that destroyed Black Wall Street. “In the early 20th century, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to one of the wealthiest black neighborhoods in America — a neighborhood so well-off that it earned the moniker ‘Black Wall Street.’ But in just a couple of days in 1921, a white mob bombed and burned down the community, brutally killing hundreds of black residents in the process.”

11. Become a Certified Meditation Instructor. Exciting news! The Open Heart Project is launching their first-ever program to certify meditation instructors. If you work with others and would like to be able to teach them to meditate in your role as a coach, therapist, counselor, doctor, nurse, or yoga teacher, this 9-week program is for you. All the details and registration information will be announced on June 7th. Click here to get the details first. I am all the way in on this one.

12. Growing up black in the whitest city in America. “My Portland looked different than the one on TV. It taught me about drugs, gang warfare and simple survival math.”

13. Why Malachi Kirby Wants Families To Come Together To Watch “Roots.”

14. Marco Arturo is only 12 years old, but he just gave the best pro-vaccine argument the internet’s ever seen. I don’t know if it’s “the best the internet’s ever seen,” but it’s pretty solid.

15. ‘At the core, none of us were meant to be common’: A new teacher’s graduation speech urges all to lift off. Donovan Livingston, who just graduated with his master’s degree in education, brought people to tears as the student speaker at Harvard School of Education’s 2016 convocation. I’m not gonna lie, I’m a sucker for a good commencement address. In related news, here’s a list of some of the best from Lindsey on A Design So Vast.

16. The Rare Beauty Of Black Foxes (15+ Pics). So beautiful, so cute.

17. Ancient Trees: Woman Spends 14 Years Photographing World’s Oldest Trees. Amazing.

18. Top 10 Ways to Protect Mountain Gorillas. Whenever something awful happens, discussing/arguing about it doesn’t make me feel any better, but being given something I can do about it always does.

19. How To Stop Being A Love Addict and Seeking External Validation, a pep talk from Kute Blackson.

20. Everything You Need to Read and Watch About Muhammad Ali. And in related news, When I was a young boy all my mom’s friends said I looked like Muhammad Ali.

21. The Art of Being a Real Runner (and Writer) from Jena Schwartz.

22. Job openings at Sounds True. I’ve always thought this would be a great place to work.

23. Good stuff from Tammy’s Rowdy Kittens Happy Links list: This Is What Your Body Does When You’re Walking (Infographic), and A well traveled woman, and Goodbye Blonde on a Budget, Hello Future.

24. This artist has a seriously vivid imagination! “Once, American illustrator David Jablow came across a vintage notepad produced way back sometime in the 1960s. On each one of its dry yellow pages there was an image of a woman which had not been completely drawn, along with the simple instruction, ‘Do it yourself.'” Really cool.

25. So You Don’t Like Looking at Fat People, good advice from Dances with Fat.

26. Feed the Right Wolf, one of my favorite teachings from Pema Chödrön, in which she “describes the process of looking compassionately and honestly at our own minds. In the end, she says, freeing ourselves from anger and hostility comes down to choosing which wolf we want to feed.”

27. A Day in the Life of Six Intuitive Eaters from Rachel Cole.

28. Triplets And Their Garbage Men BFFs Define Everything We Want In A Friendship. “We have a rough job and this can make our day.”

29. How history erased this woman of color from the suffrage movement.

Ultimately, when marginalized voices are snuffed out, we all lose. “It’s not only harming them,” said Doyle, “it’s harming our ability to have a fuller picture of the world.” Luckily, there’s a pretty straightforward way to allow diverse perspectives to see daylight, Doyle concludes.

“Don’t make life hell for each other.”

30. He’s Having A Bad Day At Work. But When He Looks Out Of His Truck, He Spots THIS… P.S. Just to be clear, “blubbering” isn’t “sissy,” it’s a sign that you have a heart.