January’s Theme is Sanctuary
Our January theme is Sanctuary, chosen by our Sheffield chapter, illustrated by Lisa Maltby, and presented by Mailchimp.
You can stop running now, you are safe here. A sanctuary offers protection to those who are vulnerable: those who are fleeing violence, those who have been cast off and told there is no place for them there, even animals whose habitats have disappeared. Here is a place where you can finally lay your head down and rest.
The original meaning of sanctuary was a sacred place, containing a holy relic or person. A sanctuary recognizes that each of us, no matter where we have came from or what we’ve done, and our needs — for a full belly, for a roof, for safety, to be free from worry — are inviolable and whole.
Where is it that you find refuge? What happens to your body when you cross its threshold? And most importantly, how can you hold the door open for others?
We asked you, where, or in what or whom, do you find sanctuary? What does it feel like when you seek refuge there? Here’s what you shared:
🐚 Sites of Sanctuary
A found poem on January’s theme, Sanctuary, from my book, Spine Poems: An Eclectic Collection of Found Verse for Book Lovers (Harper Design, Sept 2022). Titles here by: Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher / Jillian Tamaki / Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan / Candace Walsh — Annette Dauphin Simon, North Carolina, USA
Quilts are my sanctuary. There’s no greater comfort than the physical and emotional warmth of something handmade. — Daisy Aschehoug, Norway
Lisa Olivera’s weekly newsletter is about growth, creativity, compassion, the unknown, and everything that comes with being human. It’s a weekly learning journey that helps me create my own personal sanctuary inside my mind and body. — Ida Persson, Munich, Germany
I find sanctuary in my close circle. They guide and support me. — Jardley Jean-Louis, Queens, New York, USA
Blithewood Garden was my place of sanctuary and solitude as an undergrad decades ago at Bard College, overlooking the Hudson River. This rendering by DALL-E was created in the style of a Hudson River School painter, to capture the serenity and Romanticism the landscape inspired. — Gabriel Wardell, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Sanctuary is a moment, the one where you know you have confronted yourself while taking care of you. It’s a sacred space because it’s a feeling, a moment you realize, here and now, I am here and now… I am. It’s a music only you know the exact meaning it has for you, because it gave you the courage to understand better, make a decision, move forward, and speak your truth. It’s your experiences, your memories that shape you. It’s a moment you felt you were making a decision that would change your life. For the better. Sanctuary isn’t home — it’s special, not always comforting. It’s a way to face ourselves, silenced from demands, expectations and noise. Sanctuary has limits others can cross without understanding what is at play. Sanctuary is a feeling. Sanctuary is a moment. Sacred because it’s rare. Sacred because it’s decisive. Quiet because it’s respectful. It’s where we pay respect to what we need, who we are, what we want, sometimes with the little help of our friends. My sanctuary is secret and full of the ones who guide me to find it. — Axelle Tessandier, France