Different versions of themselves

Yesterday was very emotional, but I think it was therapeutic for all of us. We visited a handful of museums and memorials, many of them remembering victims of lynching and including statistics of acts of terrorism perpetrated by members of the KKK and white people in general. This all weighed pretty heavily on all of us, and we had a circle discussion at the end of the day to talk about how we were feeling in that moment. Many people opened up and shared some pretty personal things, and most of us were brought to tears by the end of it. Although discussions like that are difficult and painful, it’s a crucial part to processing the horrific events that still haunt this country today, and to ultimately heal so that we are able to move forward, both as individuals and as a society. If strong emotions like that get bottled up, they don’t just go away; they simply morph into a different version of themselves, and usually come out in unhealthy ways. These conversations need to happen more often.

Sonia Hug