It is another Tuesday at HOPE Cooperative. I come here weekly for another lesson in “life on the margins”. Waiting in the lobby are a few mental health clients, each with their own story of homelessness and and survival. There are a couple of companion dogs who offer unconditional love to their owners. At 1 PM, a group of six move into the large room and arrange themselves in a circle for a movement practice. Although they are all currently housed, they each have had periods of being homeless, and continue to feel housing insecure. Led by one of their own, they do the practice in silence. This is their time of rest and recovery. They know one another well and often share experiences.and encouragement. I join in the practice and then listen to their conversation. It is my time to listen and learn, for they are my best teachers. They are clear evidence of the transformation that happens in shared silence. It is a transformation that happens slowly with bumps along the way – for each of them and for me.
