Beloved Community,
The last few weeks have been difficult to process, to say the least... The loss of normalcy... The needless loss of so many black lives. When words fail us, and the grief is too big to carry on our own, that’s when we most need ritual in community.
See you on zoom!
I learned this the hard way after my father died unexpectedly 7 years ago. Rather than create space for myself to grieve, I dove back into my work and normal life. And it was exactly the opposite of what I needed. With my grief untended and held privately, it nearly broke me. (Read here for more on my story).
While no one knows how the country will change or find meaning in the loss, I do know from my years of being intimate with grief there’s no way around it, only through it. Even better if it’s done in community.
In the words of civil rights leader and elder john a. powell, “Turning toward each other is 90% of the healing.”
So while we can’t get rid of grief, we can hold it in something bigger than ourselves. And that something is community.
In service of this intention, Marisol and I will support us in a 3 part ritual:
First we’ll support you in gently connecting with whatever grief may be present for you through guided reflection prompts and a visualization.
Then in small confidential groups of 2-3 you’ll have a chance to share what’s coming up for you around grief so that it no longer needs to be held alone.
And to close, as a community we’ll release the grief that’s ready to move to one of the elements — air, light/fire, or water — to acknowledge how it moves through all of us.
Truth be told, it’s not possible to process and release all of the grief that’s arisen in the last few weeks in one shot. This experience certainly isn’t a one-and-done. But it’s at least a start.
Logistics
We'd like to make this Breaking Bread a fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Suggested donation $1-25, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Venmo @Melissa-Lau-2.
Please bring paper, pencil, and whatever helps you get really comfortable (e.g., tea, a cozy blanket)
If you plan to attend, we encourage you to clear the rest of your evening to allow yourself space to continue processing.
If you plan to come, please arrive no later than 6:35 pm to minimize impact on the collective.
Warmly,
Melissa L., Marisol & Hestia’s founding friends (Bee, Nayad, Peter)
