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The work of transformational change is hard. Reflections on the many ways we recharged, restored, rekindled our fire throughout the year:
“At those meetings I met many amazing people in recovery, as well as family members, who were bravely and openly sharing their stories of anger, fear, confusion, doubt—and loss. Hearing their stories gave me the courage to begin telling my own.” –Claire Bien (Cohort 6), Resilience, Recovery, and Hope
“I think the biggest thing is relating to other people – family, friends – where I’m getting my energy from. Just talking with them, and having these kinds of conversations – saying, wow, a bunch of people just got COVID, and that’s really hard, let’s talk about it. We’re all feeling pretty burned out; some things are exciting, but mostly we’re all feeling burned out, let’s talk about it.” –Kia Honhongva (Cohort 29) Interview
“I have always been an athlete and the daily practice of movement is really important to me in terms of creating space, establishing consistency, managing stress, and tuning in to my breath, my body, my thoughts, and my heart.” –Julie Greenwood (Cohort 9) Interview
“When we sang and danced in these moments, I felt like I had been rewarded for my penitence, and I would etch each moment into my memory in case it was the last.” –Mercedes MacAlpine (Cohort 29), Make It or Break It
“I called a friend who had lost her daughter: ‘What do I say? How can I help my sister?’ She told me: ‘Make sure she drinks fluids. Make sure she doesn’t fall. Make sure she gets up in the morning. You are allowed to grieve, but do not do it in front of her, do it with others. Do not burden her to help you feel ok.’” –Alice Forrester (Cohort 4), On Grief and Family and Feeling
“A lot of people really are selfless in many ways, it shows up differently. But I would recommend that you make sure you’re focusing on you too. We can’t just be in the world for everyone else, we have to show up for ourselves. Do things that bring joy to you, for you. Take those moments to be ‘selfish,’ because those are important too.” –Miriam Johnson (Cohort 29) Interview
“At CLP we talk about ‘holding space.’ I see this as ‘holding space’ for the kids behind us, so they can in turn hold space for the generation behind them.” –Goldie Adele (Cohort 28), Holding Space Through Education
“I discovered the need to enter a different state of mindfulness; to live a mindful life while aging. Acknowledge the good things and learn from tough times.” –Maria Mojica (Cohort 3), A Mindful Life While Aging
“There’s a calling home, when we quiet the fear, the anxiety, the self-criticism and judgment of ‘I’m not doing enough,’ or ‘I should be,’ ‘could’ve been,’ ‘should’ve,’ ‘could’ve’ – when we quiet all that down and we’re just with ourselves, without the ego, that’s when spirit speaks strongly to all of us. So the dark night of the soul is a becoming, it’s a calling home to the home within… when you do the internal work, your outside work in the world can look the same, but your batteries are filled…” –Caprice Taylor Mendez (Cohort 14), The Dark Night of the Soul & Liberation
“I’m thinking about how I want to move, what difference do I work to create. What do I work to know, to act, and stand in this present doorway into our future…” –Esther Armand (Cohort 4), The Unbroken Line of Disenfranchisement (Part 1)
“…I share my experience now because I know I’m not alone, and I hope it will help someone else.” –Joshua Borenstein (Cohort 14), A Call for a Fuller Life
“A while ago, my mentor said, ‘I give the world what I need the most, to show myself and the universe that whatever I’m giving is abundant.’” –Onyeka Obiocha (Cohort 21) Interview
“…I began reading and researching about trees and their ability to help each other. They connect through their root systems and collaborate with each other, sharing resources like water, light, and food… insights into and understandings of a deeper meaning of life, and the value of collective care.” –Laura Noe (Cohort 31), The Power of Community and Collective Care (Part 1)
“…for the first time in my life, I worked directly with the land. I walked in fields of waist-high grass and flowers with no fear, breathing in the healing aromas of sage and cedar. I made friends with spiders. I connected with trees and other natural life. I hauled firewood in a wheelbarrow, which I had never in my life touched before.” –Deloris Vaughn (Cohort 11), Tending Mind, Spirit, and Fire
“This is where the chicken offered me an important life lesson. I think most of us go through a period where our lives are turned upside-down. In that chaos, whether it’s my own or being with someone else’s struggle, I do get ruffled. Some people don’t… but how?” –JoAnne Wilcox (Cohort 18), Living the Life Ahead of Us
“I think I’m most restored when I allow myself periods of intentional rest. That means I’m unplugging purposefully, and I affirm that this is time for me. It doesn’t matter what activity I end up doing then, whether that’s cooking something special for myself or friends, or if I’m going to take a long, long nap. I need to take care of myself, love myself. That means setting aside intentional time for whatever it is that I want to do.” –Erwin Li (Cohort 28) Interview
“My own journey of healing has been long. Some is continuing, as I work to help families and children gain access to the full dignity, respect and resources that should be automatic…” –Elisabeth Teller (Cohort 23), Special Needs – My Story and Passion
“I wonder how many of us — me included — have been unwittingly aligned with this too-common practice of going faster and faster, to either ‘make up for’ perceived lost time or to outrun the pace of the trauma we’re presently in.” –Genevive Walker (Cohort 11), What If We Were Still
“I didn’t want to think about it, I didn’t want to be bothered by my hurt, my pain. But I had to revisit it to release what was inside.” –Maria Solomon (Cohort 31), Becoming a Poet
Curated by The Circle’s creative director & editor, Lara Herscovitch. To reach Lara directly: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org or Lara@LaraHerscovitch.com