Sunday Share

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Be the light & love you wish to see in the world!

This Sacred Healing Journey page has been an engaged and active FB page for seven years and counting! It’s initial incarnation was the spirit-child of myself and my dear friend and colleague, Cheryl Wolf. In its initial form, SHJ was entirely dedicated to spiritual growth as part of one’s individual healing journey. The spiritual aspect of healing was both a connection point as well as a growth point for the two of us in our work. Since her retirement a couple of years back, I’ve been slowly expanding the focus of this page away from pure spiritual healing to a broader view of the many sacred aspects of our individual and collective healing journey.

I am a social worker first and foremost, with a clinical license later added, then meditation, mindfulness and energy healing, all layered on top. Yet who I am, at the core of my being, is a social worker. And at the heart of social work is social justice, which has been gently threaded throughout the tapestry of my life. On the heels of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s memorial day and with Black History month around the corner, I’m breaking some new ground on this page, by sharing values that are near and dear to my heart.

Individually-

When we deny our story, it defines us. When we own our story, we have the power to write our own brave ending.

Collectively-

When we deny our history, it defines us. When we own our history, we have the power to change the present and the future.

We must collectively and courageously turn toward our history of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism and own the pain, trauma, and violence it created and continues to create.

“This is the first step in writing a braver, more loving, and more just story for our children.”

~Brene Brown

I love the truth in this quote from Brene Brown & the clear parallel between individual transformation and collective transformation.

However, I always feel like it’s important to go back further than slavery when we talk about the sins of our founding fathers passed down and the stain of white supremacy on our nation. We need to acknowledge that white supremacy is at the root of the first white man’s steps onto this land with the entrapment and genocide of the indigenous peoples who were the first people of this land. Denying our history keeps us all stuck.

Owning our history is indeed the first step of healing, with many more steps to come!

Owning our collective history is actually the easiest step, owning our personal history and present moment is where it gets even more real. But if we’re taking a page from our individual trauma healing, then we can see that we begin by understanding how the status quo (brainwashed cultural mindset we were raised with) abused us all, by making us complicit in the collective trauma of many. This is indeed the first step, but the first step of many towards gaining clarity about our own role in the perpetuation of oppression. Once we know better, it’s up to us, each one of us, and collectively, to do better.

What are you doing in your daily walk to change the status quo you were raised with? We are all in different places of understanding based on our personal journey. This is not a question to shame yourself, just a gentle wake up call to assess where you’re at, how are you changing and growing? If you haven’t yet considered this question, then perhaps considering new awareness is your next step.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Stay tuned for more Sunday shares from me as I sit by the fire over winter weekends contemplating the best use for my voice in the interest of the highest healing possible for individuals and the collective.

Thank you for accompanying me and each other on the journey. Community really matters these days more than ever!