Hegwood Law - March 2020

Hegwood Law - March 2020

OCTOBER 2018 HEADLINES HEGWOOD

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MARCH 2020

STEAL A LITTLE TIME FOR YOURSELF ON ‘ME DAY’

M arch 26 is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.” If I could just pull a new holiday out of thin air, it would be called Me Day, and on Me Day, people would take the time to do something nice just for themselves. Maybe that means playing hooky, or taking a nap, or finally getting that manicure you have been wanting. Me Day would be like a minivacation, where we all collectively agree we do not have to feel guilty for indulging ourselves. When my grandfather was caring for my grandmother, he did not take the time to properly care for himself, and it took a real toll on him. Fortunately, he was still able to outlive her, but he passed shortly after because of a stroke. Caregivers are notorious for not taking care of themselves, and he was no different. I just ran a caregiver workshop for my clients yesterday. After seeing what my grandfather went through, I am downright ferocious with caregiver clients about making sure they take the time to care for themselves. Even if they know intellectually they need to get sleep, rest, and ask for help when they need it, caregivers still feel guilty in their hearts when they take time for themselves. By focusing only on the needs of the people they are caring for, though, caregivers risk wearing themselves out so much that they

cannot provide any care at all.

I want Me Day for myself, of course — it takes a lot of energy to run a practice, and it is hard to make time in my schedule to pamper myself — but I also want a Me Day for all of the caregivers in the world. They need it more than anybody.

For some people, taking time for

themselves is easier than it is for others, but so many of us are raised to feel guilty about taking time for ourselves. We worry if we prioritize the things we need to feel recharged, people will think we are lazy. But taking time for yourself is not about being lazy; it is something you do for your health and wellness, and when you are healthy and well, you are able to help so many more people than you can if you are burnt out and exhausted.

it is out in the country, and they have yoga classes and healthful meals cooked fresh and served three times a day. It is on the water, and everything about it looks Zen, calm, and peaceful. I would spend my version of Me Day there, recharging. Most of us would benefit from a little reminder to take time to check in with ourselves and spend the time we need for self-care. So this year, even if I am not at the Lake Austin Spa Resort, I will at the very least be asking myself: How can I help somebody else have their Me Day?

For years now, I have had my eye on the Lake Austin Spa Resort. It is not cheap, but

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Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.TheNewsletterPro.com

DIGGING FOR THE TRUTH

FOIA Lawsuits That Changed How Americans Participate in Democracy

The Freedom of Information Act, commonly referred to as FOIA, has been a crucial part of the democratic system for decades. It was designed to improve public access to governmental records, but unfortunately, it does not always work as intended. In most cases, requests are only answered if a lawsuit is filed. Nevertheless, FOIA has had a crucial role in many high-profile legal cases. Here are a couple of the most significant ones in American history. A Journalist’s 16 Years in Court California-based journalist Seth Rosenfeld has had some serious contention with the FBI. In 1985, he filed his first lawsuit against the FBI for ignoring his requests for information about the Berkeley protests of the 1960s. The case was eventually settled in 1996, and Rosenfeld was awarded $560,000 in fees. In their settlement agreement, the FBI agreed to be more thorough with FOIA requests. Rosenfeld filed a second lawsuit in 2007 accusing the FBI of withholding information during former President Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Five years later, he was awarded $479,459 in attorney fees. Rosenfeld is known for having some of the longest-pending FOIA requests and

has received over 300,000 pages of FBI documents since the 1980s. The SCOMM Scandal

In a landmark FOIA settlement concluded in 2013, the federal government paid $1.2 million to settle a suit brought by several civil rights groups over the Secure Communities (SCOMM) Immigration and Customs Enforcement program. The litigation exposed a plan to create a multi-agency >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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