This ritual provides a simple, respectful, whole group structure for owning and honoring our pain, and for recognizing its authority and the solidarity it can bring.

To be able to share our fear, our grief, our anger and our emptiness, opens the way to untapped reservoirs of courage and connection.

To be able to embrace, and be embraced, in our suffering and not pull back in denial or defense is all gift and one that can be transforming. It pushes us, stretching our hearts to be able to hold all of life experience, not just the good or joyful, but the difficult and painful.