Who's in the Room?

The other day, during a workshop, for the Angel Foundation, an organization designed and built to bring hope and relief to cancer patients across Minnesota; as we did an actvity called ‘Bus Stop’ something remarkable happened.

Bus Stop, is an interactive activity, where I pose a few questions, and assign designated areas in the room for the particpants to go to and have conversations on these topics.

For this workshop, for one of the areas, the question was, “What is Challenging You Right Now?” One by one people stepped up to the big white piece of paper on the wall and wrote whatever they wished.

Afterwards, I asked if anyone if they’d like to share a reflection on what they experienced during this. It took a minute, but eventually a few people shared.

One by one, it was powerful to see what was happening…As people shared, you could feel the shift. It was as if people’s guards were starting to let down, I could see, maybe even somehow feel their bodies acting more calm. Whether a smile, nod, or a voiced out, “a-huh…that’s right.” I loved seeing this.

I won’t go into lengthy detail what was shared, as we made agreements at the start to keep what was said confidential. I will say though, that it was inspiring and hopeful.

Just imagine for a second, a room full of people, some cancer paitients, others their family and friends, while the rest, staff and volunteers for the day’s event. Picture these people, holding space, just to listen, to offer a moment of time, their time, for some compassion and empathy for others.

Hearing each other’s struggles. Perhaps moments of much difficulty, feeling hopelessness, and possibly even for some their experience of hitting rock-bottom. Not only this, and also the ways they have found support, transformation, and healing through and through too!

It’s a reminder for all that we’re not alone. That we all suffer in our own ways, at different times; and if we can believe it, if we can somehow keep going, we all also have moments of greatness and triumph too within us. Moments of miracles even.

If we can become open to it, there might be a sign, a perspective, or something someone says, that was exactly what we needed to hear, needed to experience right then and there.

I guess we just never know. We never know who’s going to be in the room.

Choosing to show up and choosing to be present, able to give or receive, we never know, what this could mean for someone or maybe for ourselves.

I’m honored and grateful to be in spaces such as this. Either to act as a catalyst and help create them or simply by standing back and be an observer to human interaction.

If this means creating more joy and peace into this world…sign me up, I’m in.