Hi friends,

Happy May!

May is a month of transition. Each year when May comes around, I am nostalgically reminded of a song by the Vermont Joy Parade; “It Might as Well be May” which is a humorous recount of all that May brings. There are two lyrics that feel particularly relevant this year, and this week;

“We’re simply children at play, the sandbox is bigger each and every day,

 it might as well be May” 

and 

“What’s been lost is found today, it might as well be May.” 

As we turn a corner with the weather changing, the vaccination rate rising, and mask regulations lifting, it certainly feels like our sandbox is growing. We can begin to find what we lost, what we want to keep, and what we want to toss.  I, for one, am looking forward to a slow and mindful re-entry process.

Thank you to everyone who attended “The Opposite of Hate is Mending” in April, and for those who reached out before and after. It felt like a pivotal moment, and it was a really special day.

Since January, I have been hosting the Over Dinner series, Zoom edition, with a dinner ‘guest’, and recording the conversation so that you can enjoy Over Dinner in the comfort of your own home. The last two conversations are now available on my website. I had the honor of talking with Emily Eden in March, and Mieko Ozeki in April. I am taking a break for the summer and exploring the next iteration of the Over Dinner Series. 

At the Root has been planting some project seeds and is excited to share their growth with you soon! In the meantime, please take a moment to watch this panel discussion on art and social change, centered around the exhibit “The Consequences of Hate Speech” with artists Nancy Current and Robin Atlas and Vermont artists jen berger and Misoo Bang.

This pandemic has been teaching us many things. As Vermont and other parts of the US start to move slowly out of the public health crisis, it is clear how much we do not know, how important it is to take things one step at a time, and how many opportunities are in front of us. I look forward to reconnecting at a safe and mindful pace this season.

 

Be safe, be well.

jen