A note from Pulse,
This week ICE killed another person in the United States. There have been 32 deaths connected to ICE in 2025 and Renee Nicole Good is the visible, newest victim. I say visible because at this moment (or any moment) ICE is terrorizing our neighbors. Our hearts hurt for those being targeted and for the country we hold dear. But today, Renee Nicole Good is in my heart as is her children and wife.
The Space In Between
As 2025 ended, I began my yearly search for next year’s mantra. I am not one for resolutions, but I like to hold something in my aura that keeps me on a path of growth and learning. I finished the year reading The Gift of Therapy by Irving Yalom and it occurred to me that 2026 could be about the “space in between” that clients and I create together, also called “The Room” in therapy terms. The holy moment of connecting inside that space and holding it for someone happens every day, in so many wonderful moments, to all of us. The energy that results when we take a moment to actually notice that another energy is being created by two, or ten, or thousands of people (as in the protest marches that have been happening all over the world against fascism, once again) can heal wounds we never knew were there.
Each month I ask folks at Pulse to “tell me what to write for the blog” and someone suggested “something about hope”. Wow, these colleagues of mine are testing me right now! Asking me to find hope and offer it up like a bowl of cherries with no pits is a challenge when sometimes I only see the pits these days. The best way to think about hope is to think about what we create in our togetherness of the space in between you and me, you and someone else, etc. What is the space we can hold and share as we exist in this dark time?
Last week, we began our Ascend program and also had a staff planning session (cause we go big after a two week vacation). Being with the new Fellows of Ascend and connecting with the Pulse team can be so profound when hope seems far away. In both the orientation for Ascend and in our staff meeting, we had a chance to explore what our vision is and begin dreaming of the future we want for our work lives and personal lives, given they are interconnected. People in Ascend met for the first time and created magical spaces in their new relationships. Pulse staff deepened who we are to one another as we joined together to plan 2026 and 2027 (and we had cake!). When we take time to create a safe and loving place to hold our truths as we get through hard times, we are being revolutionary. Notice what you create and if you like, you can email me and tell me what you would like to create for 2026 and we will add it to next month’s newsletter.