Written by MJ Ryan, SheEO Development Guide

It’s two weeks after the U.S. election, with all of its lessons of where we are as a country, both good and bad. I’ve been surprised by how many SheEO Ventures and Activators in Canada, Australia and New Zealand reached out to me. I continue to underestimate the impact we have on the rest of the world. 

It feels like a good time for some inspiration about what we are here together to do at this time of history no matter where we live. Joanna Macy calls where we are right now The Great Unraveling. It feels so true to what we are experiencing, which is why I want to offer this poem. I hope it uplifts and calls you to the work of this moment as it did for me.

“The Old Threads are Unraveling” 
by Julia Myers.

The old threads are unraveling,
Get your needles ready.
We are stitching a new quilt
of Humanity.

Bring your old t-shirts,
worn out jeans, scarves,
antique gowns, aprons,
old pockets of plenty
who have held Earth's treasures,
stones, feathers, leaves,
love notes on paper.

Each stitch
A mindful meditation.
Each piece of material
A story.

The more colour the better,
so call in the Tribes.
Threads of browns, whites,
reds, oranges
Women from all nations
start stitching.

Let's recycle the hate, the abuse,
the fear, the judgment.
Turn it over, wash it clean,
ring it out to dry.
It's a revolution
of recycled wears.

Threads of greens, blues, purples
Colourful threads
of peace, kindness,
respect, compassion
are being stitched
from one continent to the next
over forests, oceans, mountains.

The work is hard
Your fingers may bleed.
But each cloth stitched together
Brings together a community.
A world, our future world
Under one colourful quilt.
The new quilt of humanity.