Quaker Voluntary Service March Update from Annette
As always, feel free to share with local friends!
Also, watch national QVS fellows talk about their experience on Quaker Speak.
Hello friends!
Oh how do I begin to describe the month of January… it has been a month of transitions, deepening of inner truth, and following the lead of my body.
There was lots of excitement, joy and fresh energy in the house as we all returned back from our adventures elsewhere over winter break. Many of us journeyed south for a warm respite. Molly adventured with her family and partner through Mexico City, Samantha had a long visit with her grandfather in Florida, Bridget bathed in the Texan warmth with her parents, and Evan enjoyed Costa Rica with his partner and her family. Hannah and I, on the other hand, journeyed north. Hannah had a magical time in Maine, and I ventured to Quebec City with my mom to explore the old city streets, the stillness of snow-covered ground, and to revel in the sweet relaxation hidden in each corner cafe.
When we came home and returned to our familiar routines, many of us noticed what wasn’t working anymore.
Evan spoke up at his site placement at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center to advocate for food distribution to happen at a handicapped accessible location – there were far too many injuries happening to his colleagues as they moved heavy boxes of food up and down the stairs each week.
I questioned the use of BMI as a metric for health at Let’s Get Movin’ and gave feedback to hesitant ears around ways to reorient the program to have parents voices at the center, and suggested that children’s capacity to listen to their bodies be a measure of success instead of the amount of body mass they have or do not have. My own body chimed in on the matter, and through frequent headaches and migraines told me it was time to leave. LGM was not a work environment that would allow me to thrive. My last day was January 30th.
Hannah discerned that QVS was not a good fit for her, and that she would thrive much more in the mountains of New Hampshire.
I believe we all have intuition that speaks to us regularly, and tuning in to what it is saying is our task as human beings on this earth. I’m celebrating us for listening to and acting on our intuition, and grateful to all of you who are cheering us on as well.
As January fades into the past, my guiding approach to this new stage we are entering is embracing true surrender. As I take time to heal from headaches and burn out, I am surrendering to the needs of my body. I am releasing the idea that I have control, and instead I am trusting the flow of the universe.
I am guided by Eckhart Tolle’s insights: “True surrender…does not mean to passively put up with whatever situation you find yourself in and to do nothing about it. Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life.”
Warmly,
Annette
