What a wonderful way to share sympathy and healing!

_Elsa_

‘Lasting Symbol of Sympathy and Healing - Smith has taken on the role of making arrangements to get the dream catcher and members of the “dream catcher family” from site to site. 

The communities have all responded differently, she said, in the same way people grieve differently. Members of the “dream catcher family” also visit victims and their families, attend funerals, or attend school board meetings in the affected communities. Others exchange phone numbers, emails, and other resources so that those affected can follow up in the future, she said. 

“Part of it is just the gift of presence—meaning that I am just going to be with you; I am just going to be a silent person in the room; and you are not alone,” Smith said. “That’s the key message. We are grafted together, and it’s not anything that anybody chose. It’s just a fact. We have a connection. We are all related, and we are going to be here with you and for you. That’s been very well-received. People seem to understand.” 

“They may never even understand or know the story of the dream catcher,” she said. “It was like ‘wow, someone from Marysville came and spent time with me and my family during my time of grief.’” 

She said that it’s remarkable that of all the artifacts that people have donated to victims in the aftermath of a shooting—cards, balloons, teddy bears, letters—the dream catcher is the one that has traveled from site to site for nearly two decades. 

“I think that speaks for itself,” Smith said. “That there is something that’s very special about the family, about this particular gift.” (Source) 

Chewy and Yeti are fascinated with this story of how the dream catcher traveled all over sharing sympathy and healing. Takoda is just about finished with all his sharing when the Chief of the Tribe walks over to them.  

Let’s continue - Time to go home!

Start at the beginning – Chewy and Yeti learn all about dream catchers