My son was two and playing on the sidewalk with the other kids. Laura, the next-door neighbor, jiggled her one-year-old. “I think for the first time in over two years,” I said, “I might not be overwhelmingly tired.” She replied, “I’m hoping to have that feeling soon, I’m just so exhausted!” As I recall early parenthood, I can still today feel the memory in my body and mind and spirit stretched so thinly, so precariously surviving, yearning for something out of reach.
Rain has been around a lot longer than humans. Sun, too. As long as our species has existed there has been weather, and people have found lots of different ways to handle it.
It’s rough out there. Wars, atrocities, mass shootings, global warming, toxic polarization, free-floating anger and anxiety. As I talk to people around me, I find many are distracted and off-center.
The misunderstandings, assumptions and judgments between generations cause some real conflicts. It is natural for people to believe the way they were raised, the time they grew up and the standards they considered as the norm are superior to other generations’ ways of being. Just like my grandmother and her hand-cranked dryer, it is hard to adopt to new ways.
Re-entry mediation is an opportunity to make plans for the future. These mediation sessions can include up to three people––the individual’s family, friends, workplace associates, fellow church members, etc. Participants should be individuals who are important to the person who is or was incarcerated and who would benefit from a conversation in a neutral and safe setting. All cases are confidential.
MVMP is pleased to be one of ten organizations selected to participate in a multi-session intensive training on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEI J + B). In August, our staff participated in a kickoff session hosted by the MVNC in collaboration with Vernetta Walker & Associates Consulting and Sage Consulting Network. Prior to the session, staff had the opportunity to complete individual assessments to explore levels of understanding and comfort discussing topics like equity, structural racism, white dominant culture, and implicit bias. It was great to share observations in person with members of the 2022 cohort.
Thrum. Thrum. Bong. Bong. Step. Step. The sounds of the Queen of England’s funeral events had a somber musical score to match the occasion. A riveting theme for Britain and around the world. Throngs of well-wishers lined the avenues. Some commented that, despite the deep divides in that county and the vestiges of the colonial empire, the event of her death was uniting. At least for a historical moment.
Martha's Vineyard Mediation is part of a national network of USDA-supported farm, agriculture, and aquaculture mediation programs. If you know of any farms, farm stands, CSAs, or agricultural/ aqua-cultural businesses that have conflicts with debt, neighbors, succession planning, workplace conflict, management, or other matters, MV Mediation can help. Most services are free or low cost through USDA funding. We work with farms in Dukes, Barnstable, Bristol, and Plymouth Counties.
