The start of the year has been...weird. It feel important to pause and acknowledge the world as it is…complex, challenging, and constantly changing. I know that this email will land in the hands of many who are carrying heavy hearts from the conflicts, fires, and even the day to day struggles you’re in or your family is going through.
This morning I was on a monthly calls with a group of social workers around the world and we were talking about the idea when looking out at the world feels like too much there is a tension to close your eyes (something I've talked about a lot in these updates over the years) however maybe there is another choice. Stop relying on the media or other people to tell you how to see the world, your neighbors, your self and start by looking in front of you.
I don’t think it’s necessarily about narrowing our focus to just ourselves or our immediate circles. It’s about expanding our vision to truly see the people around us, especially those we might not always feel comfortable seeing or engaging with. It’s about noticing the humanity in others, even when it’s hard. Even when it’s messy. Even when it challenges us.
Before simply jumping into sharing whats happening in this corner of the world it felt important to just acknowledge the complexities right now.
A Glimpse into February: Done with Love
As we move into February I am so excited to start back with our monthly beach cleanups! This month, we’re embracing the theme “Done with Love” or in spanish “Hecho con amor” a reminder that even the simplest actions can be done with great care. January was a big planning month. Our little planning team met together and had the sweetest time reflecting on this past year and considering whats ahead. I thought I would share a little of the intentions for Ensenada
Beach Cleanups: These cleanups have really become such a special space. It’s fun to see where it started last march to where we are now and how different the conversations we are having around the cleanups. This year our hope is to really deepen relationships and allow for the cleanups to continue to be a consistent place for anyone to come together. What we saw last year was just the start of something really beautiful, it’s exciting to have that consistency to build upon. Every month there is a theme that integrates mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health in a very subtle, very basic way. We have also started to collaborate with more local small business, groups, and are hoping to expand that to schools this year.
Building a Cleanup Crew: We’re growing our team and have invited people to join our “cleanup crew”. Our hope in this is to see more individuals step into using their gifts at the cleanups. A team of committed people to come together and help create a space that really is for everyone. Im super stoked for this and right now we have 12 people committed to this new team!
Workshops: Last year we tested a few different styles of workshops and this year we are hoping and planning to see a bit more of this. Our hope is to integrate those same themes we are exploring at the cleanups and create workshops spaces that allow a little more personal experience with a smaller group of people. Right now we are working with a few schools, a local pottery small business, and a few creative individuals to create workshops that invite people to come together, create something, and explore their gifts through these themes.
TSHIRTS: This feels a little silly to include but I’ve had a few people ask me about the shirts we currently have for The Giving Gifts. After what feels like a million hours of researching I’ve finalllllly found some shirts that are fully sustainably made and our first order is going to arrive anyday. From there I have a local printer who is going to print the simple logo and then we will be gifting these to our cleanup crew and have them available to buy!!! I know some of you are just dying to get your hands on one so heres a cute little sneak peak for ya!!
So there is a little glimpse for ya on the work here in Ensenada. As we step into February let’s carry this with us: Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. It’s in the way we show up for each other, care for one another and see the world around us. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I hope you can take a moment to look around and recognize that you too are right where you need to be. Thankful for you always!!!