What binds all together

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn." – Helen Keller

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them." – Henry Matisse

This month, Patrick takes to the stage!  He is one of the 13 volunteers who have been corresponding with the Donovan residents monthly since covid shut us out of the prison walls.  In addition to writing to the residents, this month, he also takes a moment to share the experience with you!  Onto Patrick!

I LOVE telling people – friends, family and strangers alike – about my experience inside a maximum-security prison with its residents.  When I share the beauty of the residents, their crazy inner strength, their artistic talent, their creative energy, their deep intelligence, with the passion of deep truth, I watch in real-time as stereotypes are confronted and cracked. I am consistently inspired by these men, their talent and their spirit.  With the onset of the pandemic, I deeply missed my visits to Donovan and the injection of positive energy I get with each visit.

I was excited at the opportunity to continue a relationship with the residents through a monthly writing program.  In the absence of the ability to go inside, this seemed like a great way to provide and receive at least some level of that positive energy the Brilliance Inside programs provide to participants.  To treat the end of the road as a turn, as Helen Keller famously said.

And what an awesome, fulfilling experience the writing program has been!  The brilliance of the residents shines just as brightly in writing as it does in person.  There is an intimacy to writing that enables a vulnerability and depth of conversation that are challenging in a group setting.  They write clever autobiographical stories, witty poems, vulnerable personal truths, self-aware reflections – the personal strength and creativity jump off the page.

The bravery of the residents inspires me to share with a vulnerability and truth that is rare in my every-day life, and this has had a profound impact on my mental health during Covid.  In the early months of Covid, I found myself in a haze of mild depression as, like many, I felt isolated and overwhelmed by negative news.  Sharing my challenges with the residents, while also actively listening to their challenges, bravery and creativity, filled me with a deep sense of gratitude that helped lift my spirit and fight the depressive episode.

As the world reopens, I am excited to go back inside, to share and listen with the residents in the way only face-to-face communication enables.  And I also am deeply grateful for this flower we found during the pandemic, as a way to nourish both the residents and ourselves.

Hoping these words share a little of the brilliance we receive and give each month through the packets we send in and out.