Election Grief Revisited (12/6)
I want to get the band back together, to see how everyone is doing one month after the election. First off, yes, the words in red are the five stages of grief plus "pirates"—a nod to Rachel Maddow's encouraging words on November 6. As a sidenote, my sister Emily has "pirate" tattooed on her wrist. You can only see it under black light and I'm told the first letter is no longer visible. This now-irate ink can apparently be traced back to the Central Florida garage of a firefighter-friend-of-a-friend circa 2007.
When I announced the initial post-election groups, I mentioned Thrice's song "The Long Defeat." Here's another lyric from that song:
Still I believe there's a word in the wire
And I believe there's a way through the fire
And I believe there's a joy that blooms beyond these walls
How are you holding up? How about these cabinet appointments? Are you finding any silver linings outside of Saturday Night Live having plenty of material? What are boundaries and self-care looking like? Where are you finding connection and support?
As for how we’ll spend the time together, I will welcome everyone and share a few thoughts. This will be followed by a round of brief introductions, including why you signed up. That’s the first hour. We’ll take a quick break and then the bulk of the evening will once again be devoted to holding space for grief. (If you didn't participate in one of the previous grief groups, you are still welcome to join.) You will be provided with a list of questions as a way of framing what you want to talk about. Everyone will be invited to share, I’ll ask some follow-up questions, and the chat will be open throughout.
Start Time: 8pm ET, which is an hour later than usual.
End Time: 11pm ET (Three hours total—I promise it flies by.)
Number of Participants: Open to 10 instead of 8, so that more folks are able to join.
Cost: $55 instead of $75, to make the event more accessible.
Please consider joining me Friday, December 6. We'll meet via Zoom. (The link will be sent via email a few hours before we meet, so please be sure to include your email address when purchasing a ticket.)
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Please note: While the event shares some common ground with group therapy, I am not a licensed counselor and this is not group therapy. If you are looking for mental health resources in your local community, TWLOHA's Find Help Tool is excellent. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to 988 or Crisis Text Line.
Due to the limited nature of this event, tickets are non-refundable.