I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the incredible and heart opening workshop you devised for the VSP weekend. I applaud you for your courage and willingness to discuss the subjects of racism and diversity which are real areas of challenge for our society, even for our conscious communities. As all of the facilitators stood in front of us and shared your own stories and experiences, I felt sense of opening and courage that was really profound. I grew up in environments where I did not see many people look like me or understand my cultural experiences, but I knew we are all the same. I love this work so much because it gets to the truth of who we really are and invites us to embrace our divine humanity with love and acceptance.
In my trios, I observed men with sometimes rigid bodies and distant stares light up with bright and focused eyes and beautiful smiles after the exercises. The awe I felt seeing them transform before my eyes was heart opening. On several occasions, some men told me that they wouldn’t have even considered sitting down talking to another race and how different they felt after the exercises. I, too, shared their enlightenment as I became aware of my own judgments of things I thought were small and opportunities for releasing false beliefs with compassion and forgiveness.
I’ve been to several Freedom to Choose workshops in the past and they’ve been wonderful. This one touched my heart deeply and the joy I saw on the inmates faces was out of this world.
Thanks again for your willingness to bring a challenging subject out into the open with love and kindness for individual and communal healing.
Merry Parrish (FTC Volunteer since 2012)
