United

Frank went further. He insisted that the meetings served a vital function. They were more than just a forum to communicate information, to plan or strategize. There was mutual support there. Meetings and community gatherings were places to share and to be validated, places where you knew you weren’t alone. Folks were there to help each other, to collaborate and to commiserate. Frank explained that there is value in standing before your peers and figures of authority and having your struggle acknowledged; there is value in being seen, heard, and felt, value to being understood.