A Transformative Space

This is the place we started our embroidery a little over three years ago. While we have grown as a community, this remains the place each one of us keeps coming back to. During winter, we sit out on benches in the sun, and on hot days, we gather in the verandah. Regardless of where you are sitting with your needle and thread, you will see children playing, goats wandering in and being chased out, chickens clucking and pecking for food, neighbors walking by with a greeting or a smile.

The place gives us respite from the daily chores by allowing us to step out of our homes. It gives us a chance to check in on friends, make new ones, share news and gossip. Over time it also provides us a feeling of safety and gives us courage to reveal thoughts, albeit hesitantly, that have kept us from a good night’s sleep for days or perhaps even months and have been eating away at us from the inside. 

There is something deeper that happens when we reveal our troubles. What happens is that through sharing comes an acceptance and through acceptance comes an inner strength. Thoughts that once felt debilitating no longer paralyze us like they used to. This does not mean that the irksome thoughts simply vanish. Rather knowing that there is someone else, even if it is just one, who doesn’t just know but also understands provides immense strength to face them. As James Baldwin said: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” In this way, our embroidery has created a transformative space where we gain strength from one another to face our troubles.