together we can weather the storms
Once upon a time when I was in grad school, what I thought would be a simple “catch up,” with an old friend turned out to be a more than impactful encounter. Through our reminiscing, catching up and our storytelling, I was pulled out of the funk that I’d been trying to escape for what felt like forever. The interaction offered me a number of things: a change of pace and perspective and a much needed reminder that, despite how disconnected or insecure I may have felt in the moment, I was in fact very much rooted. Although I entered that interaction a bit heavy and a little overwhelmed, I left it filled with hope, joy, and gratitude. Like a tree planted by the water, I was sure I could weather the storms.
The Rooted in Sacred Ground Symposium felt a lot like that encounter, just on a larger scale. Rather than a short evening, we had an entire weekend for our sharing. Instead of reconnecting with an old friend, I found myself connecting with new folks from all over– friends and colleagues in the making. Through each session activity, prayerful pause, and side conversation I found myself being gifted with that special reminder once again: You are rooted. The more we spoke our truths and shared about our own unique backgrounds, locales & communities, cultures, struggles & challenges, and work, the Venn diagrams of our lives began to intersect and converge. It was made clear just how connected we are. Our hopes and dreams and liberation, all bound up with one another’s.
One particular session’s sharing made me revisit a beloved James Baldwin quote. Baldwin once said that, rather than isolating us, suffering is actually a bridge– connecting us with those who have suffered before us, those suffering around us and those who will inevitably come to know her. There’s so much man-made suffering in our nation right now; Baldwin reminds us of the light (hope) that we must offer to one another in the moments of encounter facilitated by it. So much light shone throughout the little community we built that weekend. It is in community that we make sense of the world around us; it is in community that we find ways to live within it; it is in community that we envision new worlds; and it is in community that we might dare to begin creating them.
Just like that “catch up,”, I left Rooted in Sacred Ground with a lot of hope, joy, and gratitude. For the time spent in community; for the opportunity to fill my cup; for the sharing of wisdom, best practices and new perspectives; and most importantly, for that oh so important reminder that I am rooted. It can be easy to get swept away by it all, so sometimes we just need a little reminder that we are trees planted by the water–together we can weather the storms.
Kayla Jackson, 2025 RiSG Participant
