Seasons of Change: Planting Hope in Community
There’s nothing more beautiful than watching the seasons change in Minnesota. We get a firsthand view of the resiliency our partners in nature exhibit as they sustain, adapt, and grow through each stage of these changes. There’s so much beauty in being able to watch what feels like loss ground itself and grow into something unimaginable; more beautiful. It keeps us rooted and hopeful.
Since starting my own journey here at Gilda’s Club two years ago, I have had much time for reflection. I’ve reflected on how Gilda’s Club and its members were sustained through the pandemic by the love and connectedness of our community. I’ve sat with how Gilda’s Club has adapted to virtual and hybrid programming by prioritizing the need for flexibility and autonomy of our beloved members. But where do we ‘grow’ from here? We are all in the midst of the changing season. We have a unique opportunity to embrace the inevitability that nothing stays the same and welcome what is new with hope, gratitude, and love. Our intention at Gilda’s is to always plant the seed of hope and watch how it blooms in community. Here’s a poem by Mary Oliver to remind us of the possibilities of fall:
A Fall Song
Another year gone, leaving everywhere
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,
the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back
from the particular island
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere
except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle
of unobservable mysteries – roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This
I try to remember when time’s measureu
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn
flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay – how everything lives, shifting
from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.
Here are some questions to consider as you reflect on your own season:
- What feels valuable to me?
- What growth have I seen in myself?
- What intentions do I want to set for myself that may fill me with purpose?
I hope that as you continue on your personal journey that you plant hope and watch it grow through the seasons of your life. I’ve listed some recommended programming that will help you do just that:
- Redefining Identity – Online with Brittany Squillace
- Thursday, November 16th from 6:00 – 7:00pm
- Join licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and grief specialist Brittany Squillace to discuss identity loss after diagnosis, discovering the you before diagnosis, and rewriting your narrative.
- Stress Management – In-person and Online with Barb Clare
- Mondays in October from 6:00 – 7:00pm
- Each unique class session will review various strategies and techniques for combating stress.
- Self-Management of Symptoms and Side Effects – In-person and Online with Bridgett Tegan
- Thursday, December 7th from 4:30 – 6:30pm
- Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DOT) Bridgett Tegan will give an overview of common symptoms that often occur with cancer treatment and offer simple strategies that may help combat side effects like fatigue, pain, and cognitive impairment.
Sign up for these upcoming program offerings on our virtual program offerings page and in-person program offerings page, in your class registration account, or call us at 612-227-2147.
With love and gratitude,
Shaunequa James, MSW, LICSW
Program Director
612-227-2147 office | 952-767-7627 direct
10560 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka MN 55305
