Hundreds of people across 40 states joined in. We fasted to protest H.R.1, a cruel federal proposal that would rip food and healthcare from millions. But what emerged in that hunger was a deeper kind of nourishment. We showed up for one another, equipping one another with stories, facts and courage. Each meal skipped in protest became a symbol of someone reclaiming their political voice. Each empty plate filled us with a shared purpose. And in that sacred act of mutual care, something powerful happened: our grief gave way to more connection, and our outrage made room for hope. 

This is the promise of solidarity. Not just resistance, but restoration. Not only justice, but joy.

When we choose to accompany each other through fear and pain – without turning away – we remember what’s possible: courage that’s contagious, love that’s organized, and movements that nourish the soul as much as they challenge the systems and policies that create harm, 

H.R. 1 is now law – and there is work to do to prevent the harms of this and other policies marked by corruption, extremism, and cruelty. As we face these injustices, may we remember: we are not alone. And may we keep asking – together – what becomes possible when we show up for one another with open hearts and a vision for abundance.

Because joy and justice are not separate paths. They are how we get free.