"This Miraculous Moment" Listening Circle, December 2020

"How often, how quickly can I become aware of the miraculous nature of the moment I am in, and adapt towards the pleasure available in that awareness?" - adrianne maree brown, Emergent Strategy
We look beyond circumstance into the boundless source of wonder: awareness of the moment, of living in THIS historic era. We pause one last time in 2020 to name and CELEBRATE what got us through. We find appreciation and say names in love.
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December 23, 2020 Reflections on Learning (by Julia)
Today's land acknowledgement includes one of our own right of connection to earth and each other, as all our ancestors practiced some time long, long ago. Let us return to stewardship, in honor of the Duwamish and Coastal Salish peoples, the people of Rainier Beach, Seattle and in honor of my own ancestors. 
Miracles mean to me that I don't need to name or understand to be in awe. What a relief, to not need to know, to anticipate, to absorb the wonder without expectation. 
Without particularly needing to prefer the pleasant in this year-end time of natural reflection, this year brought innumerable moments of awe. We marveled at the immediate and unconditional generosity of humanity. How we've found ways to feed each other not only emergency meals but of the spirit. And. We are astounded by the constant devaluing of Black and Brown life, how death finds us more readily, no matter our essential status. Unspoken truths, like most of what we teach our children is superfluous, become apparent with death abound and homework still being assigned. Homework. We are in awe of the willingness to cling to unproductive (yet so busy!) work, how disconnected we've become! Disconnected from work that matters; work that, given the ideal being-ness, would bring us all constant awe. Gardening in a miracle. Imagine: Technology with our compassion built in. Fearless. 
Trust of intuition, may "synchronicity" be a common word ("I was just thinking of you!"). 
We grow the potential of millennially-hibernating seeds of intersectionality, of belonging and nurture them now equipped for today's stranger ("I get it, your 'beep' is my 'quack'!"); what awe is inspired by the new collective good! The world we could build! Until then, we find deep founded appreciation for others, for each other, for ourselves who actively seek and validate new ways, a.k.a. "The Struggle". It's not easy, evil abounds as we teeter on the edge. We use care to not lose our humanity to evil. We are more than struggle. We are the good, and we are powerful. 
Finally, we are reminded: for every ailment there is a cure. All medicine comes from the earth. We also have everything we, advocates and workers of equity, need to prevail. Next month, the inaugural month of 2021, we dust off definitions of "good" and "evil". It seems an appropriate time. Stay in tune.

What We Read: 
"Emergent Strategies" by adrianne maree brown, anything by Octavia Butler (Parable series if you gotta start somewhere), "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle (imma throw in "Talking to Strangers" by Malcolm Gladwell. Circlekeeper rights).