The thing about solidarity is…

The thing about #HealingSolidarity they might not have told you is…

…there will be darkness. We will encounter the worst of humanity, and more importantly, its aftermath and its expression in our work together now. The atrocities enacted under colonialism live in our bodies. They will not only have to pass through our minds, but inform every action going forward.

…we will doubt ourselves, uncomfortably so. So much so that we will want to retreat to whatever privilege we have – and that remains an option we will have to contend with.

…as we vacillate between the individual and the collective, this will be utterly confusing at times.

…our relationships will change. Some will need to be released entirely into the wind. With money too is a relationship that will and must change.

…some will lose. Grieving is necessary. There will be a sense of loss as people will have to pass along resources, funding, recognition, opportunities, access. Our fingers will touch less and less. our “mark” on the world will be on hearts – if we’re lucky – not paper.

…our self-worth will be up for doubt. We will be invited to delve into the unconscious. How we see ourselves will be put into plain view. We will have to face our own personal, sometimes devastating, truths. What needs to be healed is what always arrives.

The thing about #HealingSolidarity they might not have told you is…

…it never ends.

The thing about #HealingSolidarity I wish we’d all know is…

…we are called to inhabit the whole of our lives – anger, love, fear, joy, shame, surprise.

…we will have an opportunity to see, accept, heal, all that obstructs our self-determination. We will have greater faith in our strengths.

…on the other side of pain, there are rewards – joy, loud choruses, stunning truths, nourishing food, wild dancing, forever friends, and ever-growing concentric circles of community – all of which we could have never imagined on our own.

…what once felt like loss we can experience as liberation.

…we will expand our hearts – our capacity for understanding and patience and humility and connection.

…we are invited to “see and hear” each other and the particularities of how we each experience the world. We will inhabit greater appreciation for the humanity of our co-workers, our parents and ancestors, all those around us. From there we can start to understand better how we affect each other and take concerted, focused action together.

…we can train ourselves how to let the dissonance ring out, and still hold the line.

…we can see cynicism as a defense built on privilege, and hope as a refuge to which we can all always return.

…when we are willing to be accountable to others, we no longer have to perceive ourselves as alone. When we are part of a whole, the belonging brings along with it assuredness.

The thing about #HealingSolidarity I wish we’d all know is…

…it never ends.

And thank goodness.

***

Did you miss out on the insights and wisdom of this incredible group of people pictured below last month? Don’t despair. You can support Mary Ann Clements to keep these conversations going for a small fee, which, incidentally, will also grant you access to all the interviews, transcripts, Facebook group, follow-up calls, etc! See: 

One Comment

  1. Veena

    Thanks for the article. Felt good reading it. I agree with quite a few of the points you have made, particularly about self-worth and delving into unconscious.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.