Joyful Decision-Making

Joyful Decision-Making

This summer I got to spend a lot of time with family. I have deep love for my family and experience such joy when I get time with them.

At one point we were at my aunt's place on the Olympic Peninsula. This place is magic!  

When you walk up the hill from her house there is a beautiful, lush Pacific Northwest forest. She's been building a trail to get access to walk through these woods. While gathered, many of us helped clear the trail. 

One night after dinner she asked the dozen of us gathered - how should we name this trail. 

We wanted something that would be fun and allow us to all feel good about the name. So we developed a consensus building game.

Break the Cycle

Break the Cycle

A loud high-pitched hissing sound abruptly stops our conversation.
Someone’s tires just got slashed.
Greg looks out the window to see what’s happening.
Then the shots begin.

Death did not come this time.  But bullets entered people’s bodies.  Pierced skin. Spilled blood. Caused trauma.  Two people hit.    

It was evening time.  We had just gotten our children to bed after a full day.  I spent most of it working on reconciliation. Holding space for a restorative justice process and a community gathering too.   A gathering where we were engaged in visioning. We’d tried to imagine what it would be like to experience a community beyond racism. What would it feel like?  In what ways would the absence of racism free each of us? What would be possible in our lives?  

And how can we get there?  This vision feels so far away.  

We are broken. So very, very broken.