CHARLENE SANJENKO

December 7, Love Letter 7 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. She is three. Three sisters. SHE. The Braid before I was old enough to understand. To understand that we’re stronger together than apart. SHE. Modelled harmony and happiness. With childhood memories of music, laughter, and silliness. SHE. Modelled confidence, care, and curiosity to a […]

December 6, Love Letter 6 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. She called me, Angel. She saw my shine and encouraged it more brightly. SHE. An uninhibited goddess on the ivories. Her gift as a pianist gave us a transformative experience of life through her music. SHE. Believed in me and my gifts. “Beau-ti-ful, beau-ti-ful, […]

December 5, Love Letter 5 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. My home away from home. Just She, her dad, Brandy the dog, and me. SHE. Made my laugh. Laugh, boy did we laugh. Amidst wrestling, Supertramp, chips in bed, library visits, fried chicken, and Wendy’s dinners. SHE. Brought joy. SHE. Held space. SHE. Listened. […]

December 4, Love Letter 4 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. Opened the door for my learning to come alive. Welcoming me to the classroom, early. SHE. Called me ‘her girl’. I would peer into school-room windows before even starting grade one. SHE. Noticed. SHE. Cared. SHE. Accepted. I craved so desperately to be one […]

December 2, Love Letter 2 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. Adopted me when she was 40 year old. Already with five children of her own. SHE. Took care of foster babies until they were adopted. I was four years old when adopted, and her last foster baby. SHE. Went to court to fight for […]

December 1, Love Letter 1 of 25. WHO IS SHE? SHE. Just 16 when she had me. Fear, confusion, overwhelm, shame. SHE. Told by her father to give me up. Hurt, pain, guilt, sadness. SHE. Went to court at 18 to fight for me. Torn apart as she made the toughest decision of her life. […]

Why a FireCircle? Activating our braid of interconnectedness-in-action is how we move forward and upward as a society with greater ease and efficiency to re-imagine and re-build the systems of sustainability most needed at this time. On November 6th, we hosted FireCircle 2020, an intentional morning gathering with a diverse cross-section of leaders who are ready […]

Are we brave enough to call out our blind spots? Over the coming months, I’m committed to writing a long-form op-ed that asks bold, brave leaders to provide their perspectives on our most critical blind spots and what they see as the key fundamental, forgotten truths most needing to be remembered at this time. Blind […]