This session extended the build through togetherness and shared responsibility. Lalin joined us, grounding the work even further in family and the living relationships that remain after loss. As we added new layers to the bench, we also deepened our understanding that building is deeply about who [builds together] and how.
The work became rhythmic. We split into groups, laying gravel, packing earth, working with barbed wire, repeating the same actions over and over. Through that repetition, the process became more familiar, more embodied. What once felt uncertain began to feel possible. We were reminded that skill is developed through togetherness.
At the same time, the space opened for something else: honesty.
AD spoke about the rarity of being able to show up fully, without performance. To name struggle without needing to resolve it. To be witnessed without being corrected. This kind of space is not common, especially within institutions. And yet, it is necessary.
Ms. Louise reminded us that togetherness itself is a form of healing. That being surrounded by others, working, sharing, and building, creates a sense of belonging that cannot be replicated in isolation.
In this way, presence and collective labor became practices of fireproofing, as deeply and vulnerably lived experience.
Intention & Integrity
