The first half of the semester has passed in a blink of an eye. We have been moving from one activity to the next, filling our days with learning and group bonding, spicing it up with the occasional adventure thrown into the mix. It seems that every moment is worthy of a new adrenalin rush. When we do have downtime, we often have open conversations about life in general. Recently, the topic has been things happening back in the United States regarding the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
As a group, we decided to take some time out of our day to stand together as our own version of a school walk out. The emotions flowing through the circle were so strong and so vivid. When we all felt ready to break apart, I went to the weavery to fix my pants that were as close to falling apart as I was. I sat down at the sewing machine, but the weight of the world seemed to be resting on my shoulders. So much was happening at home and I was feeling powerless, being so far away. The woman running the weavery sat down next to me and I told her about our group circle and the weight of my emotions. I was angry that there was nothing I could do. I wanted to fix the world right then and there. When I had finished telling her, one of the residents working in the weavery came over to me with both hands behind her back. “Pick a hand!” she told me.
I picked her right hand and from behind her back, she pulled a piece of paper with a drawing of a house standing on rolling green hills under a clear blue sky. On it, she had written “Till: Mikhaela. Fra: Hanni Maria.” My heart leaped into my throat and tears brimmed in my eyes. My anger at the world dissipated and I was filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling. One simple drawing was enough to change my inner fury to love and appreciation. In that moment, I realized that what she had done for me, though it may seem small, changed my entire day.
The people in the Solheimar community live a very beautiful life. They sit around, doing the same thing every day yet they are always so excited and happy to be with each other. They notice each other’s feelings. They know when to talk and when to stay quiet. They know if someone is happy and they rejoice, and they know if someone is sad and they offer comfort. It reminds me that life is not one giant adrenaline rush, but it is quiet moments and personal moments. There are times to try new things and to get the blood flowing through every part of your body, but there are also times to knit and times to draw. There are times to rush into the world, wielding a sword and demanding change, and there are times to draw someone a picture of a house.
Michaela Jurewicz
