This Is What Restorative Community Looks Like

Earlier this month, during the first KEY (Knowledge Empowers Youth) Saturday Session of the year, students, mentors, and alumni gathered in circle to reflect on practicing joy. During circle, Dani, our KEY Program Manager and circle keeper, reminded us of the power of emotional muscle memory – in other words, “you can cultivate memories and practices of joy so that they are easier to access in times of difficulty.” We shared our different joy practices, and the obstacles that get in the way, and spent time in the company of one another practicing joy, whether it was through sculpting with playdoh, fingerpainting, drawing, and so on.  

During this time, two of our alums reflected on how much they missed the space and how at ease their bodies and hearts felt coming back to KEY. They reflected on the lack of these safe spaces in their new contexts of college, even though they have tried to find them in dorms, student organizations, classes, and so on. They stayed long after we wrapped up our circle session, connecting with others, sharing about their lives, and restoring themselves.  

I share this with you because I forget how important these collective spaces can be for our bodies and hearts to get grounded and refreshed. I remember things that I might not have otherwise brought to mind, like my joy practices, because I am inundated with the busyness or heaviness of our reality. It is not easy to try and do it all on your own. When I have the presence of others, their wisdom, their love, and their struggle, I experience collective healing and purpose and forward movement in the hope of flourishing. 

I am also reminded of how important it is for these collective spaces to be consistent and available – to know that you can always come back, whether it is because you needed a break or you transitioned into different seasons. 

Our youth are wise, and I am daily reminded of that because of the shared, safe spaces I get to be in with them. This symbiotic relationship is what gives me hope that amidst stressors there is always celebration, amidst challenges there is always joy. We find this in these consistent, safe spaces.

My hope for us as we begin a new year is that these spaces will become more plentiful and more frequently occupied by you and me. And in those spaces, we are reminded that no matter what and no matter when, we are always welcomed back.   

Thank you as always for your partnership,

Sonia Wang, NCO Executive Director