Burning Beneath

I arrived early to prepare the space, around five thirty.

I remember feeling anxious, stressed, maybe even afraid. This Circle means so much to me, and I think part of me was afraid of failing, or of it failing. Maybe that is the perfectionist in me, the part I am slowly learning to soften.

I kept reminding myself of one simple truth.

My energy is what matters. That is what I bring.

Most of the time, when I am around people, I smile easily, I laugh, I try to send warmth and kindness into the space. I like treating people with care and respect. When I feel low, I usually retreat into my own world instead of reaching out. I am trying to unlearn that, but it is not easy, especially with my history and trauma.

That evening, there was no script, no schedule, no paper in my hands. I led the Circle through feeling, through presence, through trust in the moment.

Only one person came. A friend.

We sat across from each other and began anyway.

Something shifted as we talked, breathed, and shared space together. During one of the exercises, when we held hands and focused on connection, I felt the tension leave her body. I know her well enough to recognize that moment. She is not someone who easily opens up or welcomes physical closeness.

But she stayed. She softened. She shared.

That was the moment I felt it, the quiet happiness of knowing something meaningful had happened.

Not because the Circle was large, but because it was real.

My dream is big. I want these Circles to grow into something our community needs, maybe even something the world needs. A place where people remember who they are, and who they belong to.

To each other.

And maybe this is how it begins.

Not with crowds, but with connection.