feast when you can

your needs are not too much. your needs are not too "gross". you are not too needy. and if your needs are literally more than a caregiver can handle, then the problem is that your case is understaffed, not that you need too much.

you do not owe your caregiver any more than what is in their contract and the common courtesy/respect that is owed to all people.

My girlfriend: *touching me*

Image 1: A picture of a bird on a branch labelled "Shining sunbeam"

Image 2: Text reading "Large, dark-brown hummingbird with lilac-gold iridescent lower back and rump. Like other sunbeams, it has a proportionally short bill for a hummingbird. Inhabits high elevation, semi-arid montane ridges and cloud forests. You are my sunbeam, my Shining Sunbeam / You make me happy when you display / Aglaeactis cupripennis / Please don't take my sunbeam away."

We cast her anyway, in a chorus role. Offered her lots of support and encouragement and kindness and grace.

At the next audition she whispered. Anyone who had never seen her before would have thought she was the most nervous kid there. But the directing team was abuzz afterward. Did you see? She did it! Once or twice I could actually almost hear her! Amazing.

Got cast again, in a chorus role. She’d been making friends with the other kids, and they offered her encouragement too.

And the next audition we said wow I can hear her! She’s speaking! Let’s give her a handful of lines! She can do it!

plsn is an abolitionist volunteer org whose primary service is reference, so answering questions and providing resource access to people inside, and you can volunteer to either be a part of processing their incoming/outgoing mail or otherwise to actually help answer the reference questions, which is what i've been doing. you don't have to be a librarian to volunteer; they will teach you how to do reference and there are templates and faqs to help you every step of the way. plsn is based in new york but they answer mail from facilities all over the country, and you can participate remotely + asynchronously even if you live elsewhere or outside the u.s. it's also a low time commitment - they ask you to answer at least 4 letters per year, though of course you can do as many as you want - the only time-sensitive part is that once you claim a letter, they ask you to answer it within 5 days.

it's an opt-in system where you to choose the letters you'd like to answer and you're never required to answer a letter that you don't want to; i would say based on my experience so far that there is a particular need for volunteers who are interested in helping letter writers access erotica; people frequently write in requesting written erotica, photos of celebrities, pornstars, and cartoon characters, etc. and volunteers' job is to provide that while keeping within whatever specific facility guidelines apply so that the resources can actually make it back into prison without being rejected by censors. there are also so many letters about different games and gaming systems, especially magic the gathering; i had no idea how many people inside are playing magic the gathering! plus tons of requests for different books and articles either in part or in whole, so it is also a lot of straight resource acquisition.

While Saja's husband Ahmad has been recovering from his recent surgery, he experienced a serious complication.

Saja contacted me recently to tell me that Ahmad has been taken to the hospital because of a urinary catheter that caused a wound to his bladder. He didn't notice because he has no feeling in his lower body. He lost a lot of blood and some people donated blood so he could regain consciousness. Now he needs bladder surgery. I have asked Saja for more details about the surgery and will add any I get. Please donate and share to help him out!

Also yesterday (Nov 8, 2025) Ahmad contacted me to ask for help for food and other necessities for his children and to cover the treatment he needs. He has told me that his treatment expenses for his bladder are about $350 per week. He also said he will need surgery for his bladder. Please help Ahmad and his family by donating and reblogging!

Saja is vetted by association. Her brother Jaafar is vetted by gazavetters and is #299 on their list. See this post for screenshot of vetting info.

Saja's fundraiser:

Additionally, Saja told me that she needs some medication herself due to the toll her situation has taken on her mental health.

Only $206 collected for weekly treatment last week!

Please donate if you can and share! This family has had a lot of difficulty collecting enough funds for their large expenses!

BLADDER TREATMENT $0/$350 (per week)

MEDICATION FOR SAJA: $0/?

PHONE: $123/$5000?

MEDICAL TREATMENT: $12/$4,000