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Kirsten Grady

@mrskgrady.bsky.social

10K followers 12K following 650 posts

Social worker. Red tape slayer. Storyteller with a Wi-Fi connection & a grudge against broken systems. Dignity > bureaucracy. Always. Social work is political. Here to advocate, share insights, and spark change. All views and opinions are my own.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

In high school, I had to interview an older relative about their life. I chose my Oma (my grandmother) who told me stories about living through Hitler’s rise. I remember her voice shaking when she said, “We were so scared. You couldn’t trust anyone.”

Close-up photo of an Edelweiss flower — a small, white alpine bloom with fuzzy, star-shaped petals and yellow-green centers, set against a background of green grass. The texture of the petals looks soft and woolly, symbolizing resilience and purity in harsh mountain conditions.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 10h

Healing involves truth-telling, making sense of things, and rebuilding connections...not punishment. Forgiveness isn't about "earning" it through suffering. Repair comes from honesty, compassion, and community support. Remember, you deserve peace, purpose, and good things. #selfcare #mentalhealth

Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 10h

Moral injury is not a sign of weakness; it occurs when your values conflict with your actions. Unlike PTSD, it's a wound of conscience, not the nervous system. Remember, you're not broken but injured. And just like physical injuries, moral wounds can heal. #veterans #mentalhealth #TruthBombTuesday

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 15h

Moral injury can stir up emotions like shame, rage, or detachment when following policy conflicts with personal values. The key is not self-sacrifice, but asserting boundaries, speaking out together, and ethical healing. Let's prioritize integrity over martyrdom. #healingjourney #TruthBombTuesday

Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 15h

Feeling burnt out? Consider this: you might be morally injured instead. Working against your ethics due to broken systems and impossible quotas can take a toll. Remember, when "do no harm" clashes with "do it faster," the system is often at fault, not you. #selfcare #TruthBombTuesday

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 21h

I have a feeling that before everything is over there are going to still be people who believe that Donald Trump is a good man who actually cares about them. Then there'll be others who complain and act shocked when the scorpion stings them halfway across the river.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 1d

Just watched De Niro’s call to action for #NoKings2 on Oct 18 and I’m in! Democracy’s not a spectator sport. No crowns, no kings, no one above the law. See you in the streets. ✊

#ResistTogether #DemocracyInAction

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 1d

Today isn’t about “erasing history.” It’s about telling the whole story. Indigenous People’s Day honors the first stewards of this land...their resilience, wisdom, and survival despite genocide and erasure. The least we can do is tell the truth. #IndigenousPeoplesDay

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 1d

It’s ironic that the right gets defensive about Columbus Day. It's all about celebrating an illegal immigrant who took jobs from locals and brought disease, sexual assault, and murder.

Bold strategy, Cotton!

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 2d

Wishing everyone a restful Sunday + a strong start to the week ahead. May your coffee be bold, your to-do list kind, and your sense of humor intact. Progress counts, even if it’s powered by caffeine + chaos. Refill your cup. The world can wait 5 minutes.

#CollectiveCare #SundayVibes

A woman wearing a blue coat drinks from an enormous takeaway coffee cup that’s nearly as tall as she is. The caption on the image says, “May I have a Monday-sized cup of coffee to go, please?” The photo humorously exaggerates the need for caffeine to face Monday.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 2d

Sometimes the bad news seems to be all we see. In this time of chaos, it’s important to celebrate the wins whenever we can.

Want more ways to help? Check out @jesscraven101.bsky.social. Her Substack can help break that advocacy paralysis when it hits.

open.substack.com/pub/chopwood...

Extra! Extra! 10/12

Wins! Wins! Wins!

open.substack.com

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 2d

I can't choose between laughing and crying so I'll do both.

🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭

Seriously, though, This is deeply concerning. The level of delusion and detachment from reality here is dangerous, not just embarrassing. When reality starts slipping, democracy isn’t far behind.

Screenshot of a Truth Social post by Donald Trump claiming “THE BIDEN FBI PLACED 274 AGENTS INTO THE CROWD ON JANUARY 6.” The post is dated October 11, 2025. Above it, Brett Meiselas replies, “Trump was President on January 6, 2021. What a moron.” MeidasTouch caption reads: “25th Amendment time.”

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 2d

Here are the contenders I pulled out for No Kings 2.0.
Still deciding if one of these makes a comeback or if it’s time to start fresh... but the message definitely still hits.

#ArtAsActivism #NoKings #RiseUp

Poster reading “The Worst Disaster in US History,” with cutouts of several well-known figures arranged around the text

Poster with silhouettes of Lady Justice, a central figure standing on a golden star, and the Statue of Liberty, with the words “Rise Up.”

Poster showing three political figures and a red apple, with the caption “1 of these things is not like the others.”

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 2d

This weekend was a good reminder to pause, rest, and do the things that bring joy. I checked out some incredible pumpkin carvings (seriously, artists are wild) and dug out my old protest signs for No Kings 2.0. Still debating...reuse or start fresh?

#CollectiveCare #RestIsResistance

Pumpkin carving showing Robin Williams' smiling face illuminated, with a “HOLLYWOOD” sign in the background.

Pumpkin carving of the Black Panther movie poster, lit from within, showing the superhero with claws crossed over his chest.

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Reposted by Kirsten Grady

Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 3d

This Is Fascism

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

And I hope you’ll join me. Wear Edelweiss. Honor the past, protect the present, and promise a future where we don’t repeat it. For Oma. For everyone who stood their ground when the world told them to bow. #Edelweiss #CollectiveCare #Resistance

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

When I got married, I tucked Edelweiss into my bouquet to keep her with me. Now I wear it again... this time as armor. If you see me at a protest, that little white flower means: I remember. I resist. I bloom anyway. 🌼

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

My Oma carried that trauma her whole life. When she developed dementia, she had delusions that the SS were marching in the streets again. She never had those fears until Trump 1.0. That’s when I realized: some memories live in our bones.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

Edelweiss grew high in the Alps, where it survived the coldest winds. It became a secret symbol of quiet resistance. German teens who refused to join the Hitler Youth called themselves the Edelweiss Pirates. They sang, helped others escape, and said no to hate.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

She talked about the rationing, the bombings, and the neighbors who disappeared. And then she told me about her favorite flower: Edelweiss. She said it reminded her of courage of what still bloomed even in a world gone mad.

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

From that march emerged National Coming Out Day! Don't underestimate the impact of visibility. The Quilt symbolized more than fabric; it was a profound testament to the power of unity. Grief can ignite change.

So much love to all my LGBTQIA + followers both out and those that can't be. 🌈❤️

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

On Oct 11 1987, nearly 750,000 people marched on D.C. for LGBTQ+ rights. For the first time, the AIDS Memorial Quilt covered the National Mall...2,000 panels of names, love, and loss stitched into a nation’s grief.
ComingOutDay #LGBTQHistory #CollectiveCare #AIDSMemorialQuilt

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

That awkward little week grew into National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Every October reminds us: inclusion isn’t a favor... it’s a right. Progress starts messy. The point isn’t perfection; it’s persistence.
#DisabilityInclusion #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #SocialWorkRewind

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

In October 1945, Truman declared “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” The language? Cringey. The idea? Revolutionary. For the first time, disabled Americans were seen as workers, not charity cases.
#SocialWorkRewind #DisabilityRights

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Kirsten Grady @mrskgrady.bsky.social · 3d

🤣🤣 now all I can think of is his cabinet sitting around the table while Rubio calls Trump in a horrible falsetto.

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