Reflections on the End Family Meeting

by Parent Anne Lindsey

How many stories have these great trees heard?
Standing silent sentinels around the campfire stones in this clearing.
Here, humans gather in circle -
Parents with concern-etched faces, tired, anxious some, but most of all hopeful and loving their children;
Healers: kind and firm, strong and gentle, committed people, loving these children;
And the children: dirty faces, dirty clothes - they smell like three weeks on trek. Stripped bare of artifice, open, real.
They are shiny. They glow with something new. They are strong. They are nervous and determined.
They will tell their stories.
Gaining strength from the others, taking encouragement from the healers, they breathe deep. And the stories pour out.
One by one, they share secrets and pain, sorrows, regrets.
They tell of dreams, insights, needs and inspirations.
What they have learned about themselves, their hopes and plans for change.
Around the circle, the other children and the healers nod and smile in understanding and recognition of shared experience as the stories unfold.
Tears come as these children share their deepest selves.
They pause.
Gently, the others help out - asking a question, answering a question, challenging, supporting, reminding.
It is a rare bond these young people have forged.
It is humbling and beautiful to witness. A privilege to be in this circle.
The sun moves higher in the sky creating shifting mosaics of heat and shade. Insects hum through the boughs and leaves. Dust motes settle.
The humans stretch and reposition themselves, remain quiet and respectful. Birds call to each other in the forest.
The dogs run to investigate a squirrel's chatter and return to flop down panting in the circle, gratefully accepting affectionate pats.
And between each family listening, and each child speaking, time stands still.
The circle, the humans, the trees melt into the background, forming an unseen embrace of empathy and support.
All that matters is to hear each other, to be present in this moment. To understand what this young person is expressing, and to begin the long process of healing wounds and building hope.
And the great trees steadily breathe oxygen - nourishing the spirits of the humans working to tell and hear in the circle below. The creek burbles nearby. A gentle breeze rustles through the clearing, blending stories, hope and love.
The great trees listen.