When the World Feels Heavy, We Come Together |
I woke up on a snowy morning with a heaviness in my chest that I could not quite name. It was the kind of feeling that signals a day will matter, even before the news alerts arrive. When I opened my phone, the weight settled fully. A shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. Lives lost in a place meant for joy and light.
For a brief moment, I wondered whether we should cancel our plans. We were scheduled to attend Light Up Your Life, a teen mental wellness event designed by teens, for teens, where Jewish organizations across denominations had come together to support young people around care, connection, and self-regulation. Snow covered the roads. The news felt overwhelming. Retreat felt tempting. Staying home felt protective.
What shifted that instinct was quiet and steady. The teens were still coming. No one asked to postpone. No one withdrew. They were ready to gather, learn, and be together. That steadiness changed something in me. It reminded me that when things feel frightening or devastating, presence itself becomes an act of care.
Light Up Your Life was more than a scheduled program. It was an intentional space where teens could arrive as they were, speak about what feels heavy, and practice ways of grounding and caring for themselves and one another. Participants built sensory pads to help manage overwhelm, visited tables........