Community and Hope for a Brighter, More Peaceful 2021
Lighthouse meets every other Wednesday evening from 8:30-9:30 pm (CST). If you haven’t joined us before, we invite you to come and sit awhile with this beautiful group of parents. As a community, we gather to celebrate the highs and support each other through the challenges. This is a conversation with other parents who understand what you are experiencing. Grab your favorite beverage join us. This is a program for parents with students attending Islands of Brilliance programming. Register here.
As we all know, last night was a difficult and unimaginable time for our country. As we witnessed these horrifying actions unfold, I couldn’t help but wonder if we should cancel our meeting. As we began our first meeting of the year, we acknowledged that most of us had considered not attending last night, and yet we did gather. As I reflect this morning, I am struck by the power of that seemingly simple action. We came together as a small community, we showed up for each other.
Coming out of a year like 2020, where so many of us felt the isolation of not being able to gather with our usual groups who we turn to for support, the importance of being a part of a community has never been more clear.
I pray that we will never experience another day in our country like yesterday, and I do worry about the weeks to come. It is comforting however to know that over the past year, we have created a safe and supportive space to gather each week. A place that we can each show up unguarded and wholly as ourselves, knowing that there is no judgment…only love and support for each other.
As one parent shared last night, it is so important to have a place where you are heard. I am so grateful that Lighthouse is a place where each member of the group is able to join whenever they can, share if they want to, and also be present to hear about what is happening in each of our lives. We find strength and comfort in shared experiences. So often we feel we are alone in our struggles. By openly sharing our challenges, we learn that our experiences are in fact more common than we thought and we are able to learn from each other.
We spent a lot of time last year talking about ways to find balance…seeking the light to balance out the dark. I am always amazed by the range of topics that can be discussed in an hour – from the holiday cookies we baked, to Lovecraftian board games we gifted, to our plans of someday possibly getting our children out of the house! Each night we seem to balance the heavier topics with the more lighthearted. Last night, in the midst of a very dark day, the gathering of our group was once again a bright light. I know it was just what my heart needed at that moment.
The Parenting Collaborative
Lighthouse and Islands of Brilliance are just one piece of the fabric that makes up each of our communities. I am always grateful when our parents share resources that have been helpful to them. One of our parents let us know about another community which is forming, The Behavior Revolution. “Penny and Sarah offer clarity about the brain science, the nervous system, and human behavior that will help you to help your child and your family thrive. And the other parents in the collaborative offer experience, wisdom, perspective, and genuine empathy around your parenting challenges.” The group meets twice a month.
Peace and Love,
Matt and all of us at Islands of Brilliance
