As the end of 2020 draws near, ABAR Suffield celebrates our first six months together with grateful minds and hearts.
We rejoice for new friendships found and for the blossoming of a new community, brought together by shared values and sustained by unshakable commitment.
We take note of our accomplishments with great pride and thank the many people who’ve helped us along the way.
We notice that in all of our fulfillment and happiness – and there is so much to be happy about – there is always underlying tension. Our work is urgently needed and of overwhelming size and scale. This work – and its success or failure – directly impacts the daily lives of friends and neighbors we know and love. It impacts us personally. To say simply, “there is much to be done,” seems to downplay the enormity of the task at hand. But there is, and for the foreseeable future, will continue to be.
We reflect on how we came together with solemnity as we say their names. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. Elijah McClain. Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Eric Garner. Philando Castile. So many others. Too many. We hold them close.
We look forward to 2021 with hopeful hearts, and a passion for justice. We are motivated and committed to creating an environment in Suffield where all who live, work, study or visit here feel safe, welcomed, honored and included. Where each person is seen and appreciated for all that they are, and is able to express the fullness of their being without fear or hesitation. We are absolutely certain that many don’t enjoy this kind of personal freedom today. This knowledge propels us forward.
We thank you for joining us on this journey. Thank you for opening your mind and heart to new perspectives, experiences, and realities. Thank you for listening and learning, especially when it was difficult or painful. Thank you for your commitment to actualizing “liberty and justice for all.” Thank you for supporting our work and doing yours. Thank you for linking arms with us as we all work towards creating an ABAR Suffield. There is much to be done.
To learn more about ABAR Suffield, please visit the Facebook group of the same name or email ABARSuffield@gmail.com