Elliot Blackwell (Teacher)

I was asked, "Do you still hope?" Yes, hope is born in darkness. It reminds me that there is still so much work to be done to make this world better, to bring light into the darkness, to not give in to despair, to cynicism, to hate. 

How am I processing this? By showing up at my school to teach & take care of kids who will be deeply impacted by this. By loving them & creating a safe space for them in my classroom. I don't know what else to do right now.

As someone who's always felt like an outsider, I have had a heart for & a connection to those on the margins. Those who are are too often forgotten. Immigrants, refugees, the poor, the powerless. Those who are often viewed as "other ." I now do so even more.

I wonder if the most generous act we can do for another is to listen. To be fully present to them, without waiting to say something; listening without judgement, without trying to give answers. Just be present with them in whatever they're going through. 

Into The Forest Dark

@ElliottBlackwe3