Re Connecting in this Moment

This past week I experienced the pain of not being with my daughter on her birthday due to the virus- it was a really difficult moment for me and my family. So we could see each other and connect with the family I invited friends, family and framily ( friends who are as close as family) to join a zoom video conference call to sing Happy Birthday – there were about 20 people on the call. The oldest was nearly 80 and the youngest was 8 weeks old – we were in 3 different continents and 5 time zones. This was something we could have done before this – but we did it because of the social distancing- it was a moment of such joy. We laughed and cried in the space of ten minutes. You couldn’t really hear everyone – we could all be seen, It was a moment of living life fully – and it brought her such joy. I share this with you because this is a moment when we can connect and reconnect with each other,
I don’t share this to diminish the loss and pain we are feeling – especially those who have lost loved ones, or are suffering from the virus – but as adrienne maree brown says – this is a time to feel fully what we feel. ‘You have to be connected, you need each other, we need boundaries, we have too many fences and borders and walls but not boundaries.Boundaries are really important because they make way for our joy and our yes.’ adrienne maree brown – author of Emergent Strategy continues to inspire and challenge us to be joyful activists – I listen to her podcast this week and share it with you as a way to kindle hope and joy

Published by Jane Bleasdale PhD

Jane.Bleasdale, PhD is Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Leadership Studies in the School of Education at the University of San Francisco (USF). Dr.Bleasdale has lived and taught in the United Kingdom, The Bahamas and the United States, Her career as an educator now spans three decades. Dr. Bleasdale previously served as a high school administrator focusing on equity and inclusion through personnel and student development Her doctoral research focused on equity and inclusion in high schools and specifically the experience of Black, Latino and LGBTQ students. She has recently conducted research on social and emotional wellness of students, the impact of school leaders on creating inclusive communities and critical feminist perspectives on leadership.Current research focuses on the experience and impact of women leaders with intersectional identities. Dr.Bleasdale is the principal investigator on a participatory action research project at USF collaborating with 10 doctoral students on a new paradigm for equitable leadership focused on critical feminst perspectives. View more posts