Author Rebecca Solnit suggests that hope is not an emotion we have, it is a radical stance toward life that we choose. One need not look very far to encounter deep grief, verging on despair—for our nation and for our planet, in addition to the sorrows that we each carry personally. How do we avoid being sunk into hopelessness by the weight of all the grief and anger at injustice that so many of us carry? We will create a safe container, through the use of participatory exercises, journaling, music & dialogue, for exploring together how we each can develop practices to water the seeds of joy, hope and resilience in our lives.

‍I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift. ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer