UPCOMING EVENTS
WHEN SILENCE WAS SAFER: Silence As Adaptation, Not Failure
Silence is not failure. It is adaptation, protection, and presence. Explore how quiet became survival and what it means to notice it now.
VOICE WITHOUT PERFORMANCE: Speaking Without Urgency Or Justification
VOICE WITHOUT PERFORMANCE: Speaking Without Urgency Or Justification
For many of us, speaking has never been neutral. To speak has meant to justify, to persuade, to soften the edges of our experience so it can be received without discomfort. We learned to arrange our words carefully, to anticipate misunderstanding, to perform clarity in order to remain safe, loved, or believed. Voice became something offered conditionally, shaped for the listener rather than grounded in the self.
This theme invites a different relationship with expression. Voice without performance asks what it might feel like to speak without editing for approval or coherence. It asks whether sound, presence, or even silence can be enough, without explanation or outcome. Here, voice is not a product. It is not a case to be made or a story to be perfected. It is simply a moment of truth, allowed to exist as it is.
Release from being understood is not a rejection of connection. It is a refusal to make comprehension the cost of expression. It recognizes that being heard does not always mean being grasped fully, and that meaning does not disappear simply because it cannot be neatly translated. There is relief in allowing words to land without chasing interpretation, in trusting that what is offered does not need to be resolved in order to matter.
In this space, voice may arrive softly or not at all. It may be fragmented, uncertain, or unfinished. Silence is not failure. It is choice. What matters is not clarity, but authenticity. Not performance, but presence. And in that presence, something loosens. The burden to convince lifts. The body exhales. What remains is a quieter, truer form of expression that belongs entirely to the one who offers it.
HOW IT WORKS
This one-hour Zoom gathering invites participants to explore what it means to be seen without explanation. The space is designed for presence, reflection, and gentle witnessing. Participation is entirely voluntary. No one is ever required to speak, and quiet reflection is always honored.
Format (modeled on structured support groups):
Opening Guidelines (5–10 minutes): The facilitator reads the group agreements and explains how the session operates, setting a safe and supportive tone.
Timed Sharing (35–40 minutes): Attendees may raise their hand to speak. Each speaker has about four minutes, after which the next person is invited to share. When no one is speaking, the room rests in silent reflection.
Optional Prep: For those who wish, a short essay or poem on testimony or the journal prompt “What have I carried quietly?” can be considered ahead of time.
Closing Reflection (5–10 minutes): The group comes together to integrate insights, grounding the experience and leaving participants feeling heard, lighter, and more present.
Why Join:
Engage in a safe, structured space for personal reflection
Practice witnessing and being witnessed without pressure
Connect with others in shared contemplation and quiet presence
Nonprofit Partner Organization
RedBike Outreach is an entirely volunteer-driven organization that delivers meals, supplies, and care directly to people experiencing homelessness in St. Louis. Each week, volunteers meet immediate needs with compassion and respect, creating moments of connection and affirming the dignity of every person they encounter.
Your support helps us continue our mission. RedBike Outreach is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every contribution makes a meaningful difference. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us expand our programs and reach more people in need. Together, we can keep the wheels of change turning.
NAMING WHAT WE CARRY, Witnessing As Presence Rather Than Fixing
NAMING WHAT WE CARRY, Witnessing As Presence Rather Than Fixing
We move through the day carrying things unseen, unspoken, sometimes unnamed. Memories that settle in the corners of the body, half-forgotten yet always present. The weight of what we have endured presses against the ribs, in the hollow of the throat, in the tremor of a hand we barely notice. To name it is not to fix it. To name it is to recognize it, to give it the dignity of acknowledgment, to allow it to exist without explanation or apology.
In this space, witnessing becomes its own act of care. To be present is to sit beside the unspoken, to lean into the silence that so often contains more than words ever could. One might speak, or one might simply be, the voice suspended in the pause, the understanding that no one else is required to heal it, to interpret it, to render it right. And yet, by being seen even without speaking we participate in a quiet alchemy. The load shifts, subtly, imperceptibly, and perhaps, just perhaps, light reaches the places we thought darkness had claimed.
It is not solution, it is not performance. It is presence, relentless and tender, and in that presence the world, so often heavy, so often lonely, feels for a moment, tenuously, that it can hold us back.
HOW IT WORKS
This one-hour Zoom gathering invites participants to explore what it means to be seen without explanation. The space is designed for presence, reflection, and gentle witnessing. Participation is entirely voluntary. No one is ever required to speak, and quiet reflection is always honored.
Format (modeled on structured support groups):
Opening Guidelines (5–10 minutes): The facilitator reads the group agreements and explains how the session operates, setting a safe and supportive tone.
Timed Sharing (35–40 minutes): Attendees may raise their hand to speak. Each speaker has about four minutes, after which the next person is invited to share. When no one is speaking, the room rests in silent reflection.
Optional Prep: For those who wish, a short essay or poem on testimony or the journal prompt “What have I carried quietly?” can be considered ahead of time.
Closing Reflection (5–10 minutes): The group comes together to integrate insights, grounding the experience and leaving participants feeling heard, lighter, and more present.
Why Join:
Engage in a safe, structured space for personal reflection
Practice witnessing and being witnessed without pressure
Connect with others in shared contemplation and quiet presence
Nonprofit Partner Organization
RedBike Outreach is an entirely volunteer-driven organization that delivers meals, supplies, and care directly to people experiencing homelessness in St. Louis. Each week, volunteers meet immediate needs with compassion and respect, creating moments of connection and affirming the dignity of every person they encounter.
Your support helps us continue our mission. RedBike Outreach is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and every contribution makes a meaningful difference. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us expand our programs and reach more people in need. Together, we can keep the wheels of change turning.
TURBULENCE BEHIND TRANQUILITY: Movie Madness No. 2
Exploring Eating Disorders in Film: An Online Discussion
In honor of Eating Disorder Awareness Month, join us for a public online discussion group dedicated to exploring how films address eating disorders. This event provides a unique opportunity to examine the portrayal of these complex and often misunderstood conditions through the lens of cinema, fostering awareness and empathy.
The meeting will begin with a brief presentation offering essential context about eating disorders, their impact, and common misconceptions. Participants will receive this information in advance to help ground the discussion. From there, the session will open up for sharing and dialogue, inviting attendees to reflect on specific films that have tackled the subject, both effectively and critically.
This event is a chance to connect with others, share perspectives, and deepen understanding of eating disorders and their representation in media. Whether you’re a film enthusiast, advocate, or someone seeking insight, your voice is welcome as we come together to honor stories that shed light on these important issues.
TURBULENCE BEHIND TRANQUILITY: Movie Madness No. 1
Participants will examine examples that challenge stereotypes and promote empathy, as well as those that perpetuate harmful misconceptions. Through this analysis, the group will consider how these portrayals impact societal attitudes, stigma, and the lived experiences of those with mental health and substance use challenges.
STILL I RISE: Finding the Divine Inside
Finding the Divine Within: A Journey of Connection
What does it mean to find the divine within? For some, it is a whisper of clarity amidst life’s chaos or a steady sense of peace in moments of struggle. To others, it might be the spark of creativity, the courage to forgive, or the understanding that profound truths often lie in simplicity. In an age dominated by distractions, exploring this inner connection can transform how we view ourselves and our place in the world.
This online discussion group invites participants to examine the sacred within themselves. Through guided meditation, personal storytelling, and interactive discussions, we will reflect on diverse definitions of divinity. Whether it is a sense of higher purpose, a bond with others, or the quiet beauty of daily life, participants will explore how these moments of connection shape their perspectives.
The gathering emphasizes curiosity and understanding over definitive answers. By sharing and listening, attendees can leave with a deeper sense of the sacred potential within us all and new ways to bring that awareness into everyday life. This collective exploration of the divine offers an opportunity to connect, reflect, and grow together.