Since the election I have experienced something that has surprised me. It shouldn’t be surprising since we, as a collective body, are recovering from 4 years of gaslighting, division, and hate. Add to that, a year of global sickness and death. We are all in a rough place right now. We are exhausted and emotionally bruised. But still the experiences surprised me.
Like a mobile that sets out to correct itself after a breeze we are re-balancing ourselves to a new dance under a new administration. While there is hope, there is clearly still an immense amount of work to be done. So we reposition ourselves to begin that work. But even with the amount of struggling we are each experiencing, shaming should not have a place in the work we do. Especially if we expose peace and justice. It’s simple, shaming causes the receiver harm. It is a form of violence. It is something we all have done at some point. If I reflect honestly on times in my past when I have done it, I feel immense sadness and those times fill me with deep regrets. Shaming often comes from a knee jerk defensive reaction and a strong emotion. But it is important that we notice it and call it out when we see it and/or experience it. Shaming is not a sign of a bad person. It is a sign of a struggling person. But left unchecked it can cause great harm. May we all work to reject this form of communication as we move forward with our work.
May we all continue to work and grow in peace, love, and acceptance,
Mary
For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. Amanda Gorman, The Hill We Climb
Messages From the Heart 