At the end of one of the support groups I lead, we have a small tradition. Everyone brings their hands together and makes the shape of a heart. We do it on Zoom every week, right before we sign off. I don’t even remember how it started, but over time, it’s become part of the rhythm of the group.
Yesterday, we had a new person join us. Toward the end, someone explained it to her gently: “We want this to be a welcoming space, and we hope you’ll come back. We always close like this.” And then I watched seven women, each in her own little Zoom square, lift her hands and cup them together, offering this shared, visual expression of care to one another.
It touched me. Nothing about it is complicated. It’s not scripted or dramatic. It takes just a few seconds. And yet, it communicates so much—you matter, you belong, we’re glad you’re here.
These small, repeated rhythms shape the spaces we’re in. They quietly set a tone. They teach us how to show up for one another. And over time, they change what a group feels like, what it becomes.
A simple gesture can shape a lot.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 