Healing Circle

We recently experienced 3 mass shootings in an 8-day span. Gilroy, California. El Paso, Texas. Dayton, Ohio. I mourned the loss of 35 lives and prayed for the recovery of 63 others. Like most of the country, I found myself shaking my head wondering when will this madness end. And I also felt a burning inside of me to do something.

That something appeared to me when I was invited by one of my clients to help lead a Healing Circle with their employees. The firm is led by 2 compassionate, heart-centered, employee-focused women who had the idea to hold this space for anyone who wanted to join in. More than 40 percent of the employees participated in person or via video conference. It was amazing how intimate the setting was, even for those of us participating remotely.

The Healing Circle began with words from the CEO who established a safe, confidential and warm space for sharing. She invited the angry, the scared, the sad and the emboldened to share their feelings without judgment. Room was created for tears and for pleas for us to do more and be better. Fear was expressed by parents with children, young and old, who they must release into each day with the hope that they’ll return, only desiring to see their faces again as they walk back into their homes.

Parents of black and brown children expressed increasing anxiety as shooters seek out specific targets in this time of racial disharmony and confusion we are experiencing in the United States.

The Healing Circle ended with a meditation. Thoughtfully and peacefully we were allowed a few moments to absorb and let go. To breathe in, breathe out, and return to center.

No problems were solved in the Healing Circle but hearts were held gently and spirits were soothed. This community cared for one another in a way that I’ve never experienced before in the workplace. It gave me hope that when differences are put aside, we can find one another in so many beautiful and meaningful ways.