Time has allowed me growth. Three years ago, around the spring equinox, the seed and love for WholeHeart were planted after attending a seasonal workshop. The listening circles were a powerful germination of sources that I remembered that I tucked away for some time. Time allowed for the cultivation and nourishment of the seeds planted so long ago to grow.
The picture of this tree - taken by my husband -reminds me of the stillness, the magic of messages delivered on the wind.
In January 2020, I started Seminary at Starr King School of the Ministry to deepen my tapestry of social justice work. Weaving and unweaving new ways into being. I believe "that hope is the dream that has yet to come to fruition, and liberation is rooted in those dreams.”
Those dreams led me back to WholeHeart this Spring as I continue to unearth my ministry and what it means to intertwine a social justice and relational justice lens. As a seminarian with a concentration in chaplaincy, I must complete a Clinical Pastoral Education unit (CPE), similar to a clinical practicum/intern experience. Most students complete this requirement in more traditional spaces; hospitals, hospice, retirement communities, etc. In 2020, I listened to the fall winds and savored the dark winter nights as I dreamt of hope and liberation.
My inner voice kept whispering WholeHeart; return to WholeHeart. With deep breaths and listening to spirit call me in, I reached out and reconnected with Holly Wilkinson to share the impact the seasonal workshop I took with her and Tara Reynolds had on me three years prior. I was able to dig my roots a little deeper into my own soul of how I wanted to move through the chaplaincy program. I feel the world is in dire need of listening and care and that chaplaincy CPE can exist outside the traditional models. WholeHeart is where I wanted to explore the possibilities of dreams, hopes, and liberation.
This shell I found on my trip in Florida right after attending my first seasonal circle with WholeHeart. It was a message that was delivered as a gift and reminder. I still have the shell today on my altar.
Working with WholeHeart currently as an independent study this spring semester has been a beautiful way to be folded into the WholeHeart team and the WholeHeart community. Attending the Wellness Calls has been a wonderful spiritual practice of deep listening to myself and others. The Wellness Calls spark a curiosity that has been ignited, and the weekly reflection has been meditative.
As my work deepens with WholeHeart and transitions from my independent study to my CPE experience (July - November), I look forward to uncovering the complexity of my journey, sparking curiosity for others to find their inner teachers and listen to messages delivered by the wind.
Messages on the Wind
The wind calls me to listen
The wind sends messages my way
Magic swirls all around me
Be still
Breathe
Listen
Know that you are loved in this world
~ Poem by Yvette T. McDonnell
Yvette is a Master of Divinity student at Starr King with a concentration in interfaith chaplaincy. Her ministry is grounded in love, justice, hope, and liberation. Yvette believes "that hope is the dream that has yet to come to fruition, and liberation is rooted in those dreams." Yvette recognizes her gifts as a mystic, counselor, educator, and keeper of memories.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Lusophone Studies and a Master's degree in Higher Education, both from the University of Connecticut. Yvette is excited to be working with WholeHeart, Inc. during her Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). She continues to weave and unweave a tapestry of unearthing life with deep breaths, deep listening, and the beauty of stillness.
Yvette lives with her family in Western Maine, is a homeschooling educator, enjoys crafting, baking, growing, foraging medicinal herbs and making medicine, and loves dancing.