A week has passed since I wrote the bulk of this post, which I have now finally polished up to send. In that week, I’ve lost count of the news shows, commentaries, documentaries, and retrospectives I’ve watched.

Today is a new day, a special day, a day to move forward. Having said that, I realize that every day should be seen that way.

Still, today is inauguration day. Our former president will not be there for the handing over of power. In fact, he has already left D.C. Troops surround the U.S. capitol and many state capitols. The Washington Mall is closed because of the pandemic. And, yet, the predominant feeling inside me is hope.

Here’s what I wrote a week ago.

I have a feeling I can’t shake, one I carried with me through much of 2020, through the Black Lives Matter marches, the killings, the riots and looting, the increasing political divide, the shutdowns and economic struggles … through it all.

Then came the storming of the Capitol.

I felt a little numb as I opened my laptop to start another work day this morning. It’s been difficult to get my head around what happened and the news that more may be coming..

I feel I need – and Cowork Frederick needs – to do something, to do more, to be part of the solution, to help bridge the divide, to help us heal.

I launched a coworking space in Frederick, Maryland with my husband Glen nearly 10 years ago, when coworking was more of a grass-roots movement than a global industry. Pioneers of that movement spoke of creating a world where collaboration is valued over competition, where community is valued over individual agendas, where we work together and support each other, with open minds and open hearts, to learn, grow and become better and, in so doing, make the world better. I was hooked.

It was inevitable. As a kid, I spent three summers in a “Shiloh House“, part a large communal ministry during the Jesus People Movement of the 1970’s. Teams of people who joined the Shiloh ministry were sent to locations across America to form houses that operated like hippy-style rescue missions. I was there with my much older brother, immersed in a world where people shared everything freely, all working toward a common goal. I saw people walking the talk, certain the love others felt from them would break down barriers so they could feel the love of God. Their every day actions were the best testament of the impact that same love had on them. It has stuck with me all my life.

And so, back to coworking and the point of this blog.

I don’t know if anyone has put it this way, but at the heart of the core values of coworking I see love. Love for ourselves, for our fellow humans, and for the places we occupy.

The actions of every individual matter, but together we can do more. When we come together, in love, we have the potential for immense good. By pooling our ideas and resources we are stronger, more innovative, more able to meet the challenges before us, more able to have a positive impact and make a better world for all of us.

In these times it seems important remind ourselves that just being here coworking can be a powerful force for positive change. Cowork Frederick remains committed to doing our part – by being a shining light, by continually creating an environment that is welcoming and that encourages connection and collaboration, by living our values and beliefs in all that we do.

Even if you’re not one to join a coworking community, we hope knowing we are here, doing what we do, is another source of hope as we all travel the road before us. Here’s to the healing.