Moving back to the neighborhood for the summer I grew up in, I am met with a NOStalgic flood of memories from my childhood spent at Stewart Park, by the swings, at the swimming pool, or simply outside until the streetlights came on.
The summers hold some of my favorite core memories. Life felt simple. My biggest concerns were my latest hairstyle, fashion, the book I was reading, and whether I would have to babysit my little brothers. Growing up sheltered in the church, church camp was always the highlight of the season.
Standing in the same neighborhood decades later, life feels different. The heaviness of the world has built a certain mental toughness, making it feel as though we’re training for the Mental Olympics of surviving rather than thriving. Happy moments can quickly be overshadowed by uncertainty, frustration, and confusion.
Yet resilience answers back. You keep going. You pivot. You adjust.
In many ways, that’s why MORTAR feels so timely. We create space for free thought, innovation, and possibility. From a DEVelopment perspective, one of our greatest challenges is articulating our ask in a difficult climate. The opportunity is that we can be creative and unapologetic because we stand firmly in the work and the people behind it.
Summertime invites reflection, gratitude, and maybe even a little hope. Perhaps hope, especially right now, is its own kind of resilience.
Audrey Hamilton
Development Manager
