Does Healing Include Getting Dirty?!?

…it did today!

Before I explain, let this count as my monthly post and an update after being an empty nester for 30+ days.

Michai seems to be doing well. I’m trying to trust him more so I haven’t checked his grades 🫣. He either is eating more meals at the caf, or he has someone getting him food because the number of weekly debit card swipes has decreased. He received a notification of a refund check and I hope he remembers the conversation about the funds not being used for a down payment or clothes/shoes since next semester’s bill will generate next month 😩. He’ll be home the next two weekends, after which he will remain on campus to go to football games and prep for GHOE.

I have been able to enjoy leftovers that don’t mysteriously disappear, only having to do laundry once a week, and random texts from and conversations with Michai that include less arguing and more understanding. I’ve also continued to participate in my community commitments which brings me to this post.

Organizations continue to offer education about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), other organizations are continuing to try and make Pre-K a priority, Trauma Resilience work is still being done, and there’s gun violence prevention work aka Our Opportunity 2 Love + Heal (OO2L+H). That’s where I was tonight (a few other members of the coalition are pictured).

They’ve been meeting since last May. I joined last September after the tragedy at Mount Tabor, and we meet every Tuesday evening from 630p-8p. We have a project that must be completed by September 30th so I suggested we meet in-person to get ahead of Saturday’s work. What I didn’t do was look at my calendar to see the Positive Wellness Alliance (PWA) board would reconvene our monthly meeting on the same day 😳. All ended well, but I did learn some things about myself in the process.

I’m not as good of a multi-tasker as I thought I was, and now wonder whether I was ever good 🤔…trying to engage with OO2L+H and PWA was rough. I’ve always loved being outside, but it’s the getting dirty and being bitten that wouldn’t have made me much of a girl scout, hiker, gardener, etc. I’m not as young as I used to be so I needed more preparation to be digging in (hard) dirt.

It had to be done because the coalition has welcomed the charge to create a Space to Heal for gun violence victims and survivors. I am glad to do this work with this team of women…holding space for Kenneth who only came to pick something up after having oral surgery, but ended up doing what it was taking four of us forever to do…thanks to Rickey for getting his loafers dirty and helping us, too, and to Kyle for his knowledge, assistance, and for taking the picture.

Come to the Enterprise Center Saturday at 830a and join the coalition for yoga, get dirty with us as we finish the fire pit and paint the Peace Poles, then join the Southeast Neighborhood Association at their event. I’ll be in and out because I’ll be helping Read Write Spell (RWS) at the Bookmarks event.

As for right now, I’m going in to wash off this dirt and reevaluate my suggestion-making skills especially since I have an early meeting in the morning 🫢🤦🏾. Oh, if you think or say I do a lot…there is still so much more to be done so sign up to help me or some other organizations!!! ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾