I read something recently that said, the job of parents is to provide mirroring and containment for their children. And, as adults, we also need this.

“Mirroring is accurate reflection of what they feel and what they are telling us. Containment is knowing what the bounds of the connection are as well as how far they can move away and still come back.

As mothers, we need this too. During the last 15 months, we have gotten less mirroring – as adults we get it from other people (and from the external environment). Most of us have had less space, less people reflecting back to us who we are. As mothers, we also need containment, knowing where we end and our family begins.”

(This might have resonated a little bit. :))

The other day, in a personal conversation, Erin and I were able to provide this for each other – some mirroring and containment, as we fumbled around with our feelings, in response to the news headlines and the waves of impact being felt all around.

Erin shared her journal exploration, where she gave herself permission to acknowledge the complexity of navigating this as a settler, AND to name her feelings as grief. I’m really grateful she was willing to let me post it on the Almanac, here.

We wondered, what would it look like if, if we could extend that holding we’d done for each other, into a wider circle, and invite people, particularly non-Indigenous people who aren’t quite sure of their place in this, to come together.

So we are.

Everyone is welcome. Of any background or identity. It’s a place for us to fumble and mirror and reflect, and not rely on First Nations’ folk to hold us up or do the work for us.

We’ll send a zoom link out later this week. If you’re interested, or have questions, drop me an email.