This came across my newsfeed on Facebook this morning. For me, it pulls into one thought what at times seems to be an avalanche of fragmented despair and discord. Not (just) for me but for people across the spectrum of humanity.
One of my Facebook friends who is Lakota from Pine Ridge and now lives in Colorado wrote today of going to powwow and reconnecting with his tribe (community) and how liberating it was to once again feel a part of rather than apart from.
I read a rather lengthy post/article on holding space for one another, and what this means both individually and collectively. I began to mull over exactly what this means, and how it is used and abused in today's climate.
My writing group (such a marvelous collection of people - it is beyond my ken how I am included) is working off of a provocative prompt this week - Empty room(s): Real or metaphorical.
Then all of these disparate thoughts came together into one cohesive concept when a woman I consider to be extremely gifted and intuitive posed this question:
Is the world a dangerous, chaotic place with no inherent purpose, running on automatic like a malfunctioning machine and fundamentally inimical to your happiness?Or are you surrounded by helpers in a friendly universe that gives you challenges in order to make you smarter and wilder and kinder?
So, as I sit here in my comfortable little house, nestled amidst the mountains and with the sound of a meandering stream just outside the window, I contemplate me.
There are times I feel I have been beset by every trial imaginable in my life. Times when I feel I have battled and been bruised and bloodied in ways I did not know were possible. Every time - without fail - when I share my situation I am met with love, understanding, empathy, support, encouragement - every positive adjective you can imagine.
We all face battles, and battle demons. We can do it alone, in that empty room, or we can do it with our tribe, our circle, our family. We can lift that burden and carry it alone, or we can allow others to hold space with and for us. The weight is the same, but the burden is distributed among many backs as opposed to just one.
We all have joys and triumphs. Moments of victory, of plenty, of blessing. We can hoard these riches and buffer ourselves against the want and need around us or we can hold space with and for others. The blessing is the same, but the lightening of daily cares and worries is spread to many lives. We fill an empty room with celebration.
Social media is what it is. And what it is in 2016 is a force in society. Social media is redefining what a tribe is, who our family is, who matters and why. We are seeing for the first time in history all people as one. Mankind as a unit, not divided by the barriers of non-communication and veiled in mystery as in years past. Too often, non-communication has been replaced by miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Xenophobia, misogyny, racism and discrimination have been exposed across the board.
There is much work ahead for us, as common inhabits of this big blue marble hurtling through the cosmos.
Day by day, bit by bit, I believe we are getting there. So in answer to my Facebook friends,
We all face battles, and battle demons. We can do it alone, in that empty room, or we can do it with our tribe, our circle, our family. We can lift that burden and carry it alone, or we can allow others to hold space with and for us. The weight is the same, but the burden is distributed among many backs as opposed to just one.
We all have joys and triumphs. Moments of victory, of plenty, of blessing. We can hoard these riches and buffer ourselves against the want and need around us or we can hold space with and for others. The blessing is the same, but the lightening of daily cares and worries is spread to many lives. We fill an empty room with celebration.
Social media is what it is. And what it is in 2016 is a force in society. Social media is redefining what a tribe is, who our family is, who matters and why. We are seeing for the first time in history all people as one. Mankind as a unit, not divided by the barriers of non-communication and veiled in mystery as in years past. Too often, non-communication has been replaced by miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Xenophobia, misogyny, racism and discrimination have been exposed across the board.
There is much work ahead for us, as common inhabits of this big blue marble hurtling through the cosmos.
Day by day, bit by bit, I believe we are getting there. So in answer to my Facebook friends,
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