During this past weekend’s Morning Altars teacher training program, there were many moments of grief, deep sadness, and contemplation. Around our stories, our ancestors’ stories, the current political environment, the wars ensuing as we sit comfortably in our living rooms on Zoom. There is so much to be said and acknowledged and recognized, yet no words can capture the sheer amount of pain that many of us are navigating in our own lives and simultaneously expected to ease for others.

One of my mentors, Claire Takahashi, invited us to take a deep breath together to reset our nervous systems.

As we exhaled together, she spoke this beautiful line.

In darkness- loss, injury, failure, war, divorce, illness, death- it’s incredibly difficult to see the blessing, the light in it all. But I’d like to imagine us grasping at a few stars and stashing them in our pockets. Only to later find them by surprise in the future. Perhaps while walking near the ocean and enjoying the sunset, we’ll reach into our pockets and pull them out. They’ll blink back at us. Remind us of our resilience. Proof we made it through the darkness.