Re-Creating & Re-Imagining: Wisdom Revealed

The final four weeks of 2020 and the first two of 2021 brought people together from across the country for Re-Creating/Re-Imagining Ourselves, an online series presented by Trinity Church Wall Street as part of the “wellness” initiative of Trinity Commons. Rev. Julia Kristeller of Psychotherapy & Spirituality Institute, a long-time Trinity partner, provided facilitation for the group, which met weekly during the holiday season, a time when the challenges of family separation forced by the pandemic could have easily been most challenging. 

Here is a list of some of the “wisdom” that emerged from those meetings.

1. Holiday gatherings became simpler, with creative ways of connecting, and with an expanded definition of “family.”

2. Participants had a chance to explore more deeply their own personal sense of identity, without feeling judged by the usual reference points or “mirrors.”

3. Meditation, breathing, and creative play encouraged exploration of the power of personal presence, allowing group members to let go, and live in the moment.

4. The losses of the past year also revealed unexpected gains.

5. Since nobody knows for sure what the new year will bring, participants were strengthened by sharing in the diverse ways their fellow group members dealt with that uncertainty.

6. Self-care is never selfish, although often difficult in the midst of such suffering and loss.

7. There is power in community, even online and over a short period of time, and recognizing that power brings gratitude.