Dear Friends,

I often find myself contemplating the absence of ritual and rites of passage in our culture—those

thresholds that mark our movement through life with meaning. One of the most enduring rites we still

collectively honor is summer camp. I spent seven summers at Camp Longhorn, and my wife spent eleven

at Camp Mystic. Just one week before the flood devastated our beloved Hill Country, we picked up our

daughter from her first summer at Camp Mystic.

Camp is more than a childhood tradition—it’s a sacred rhythm. It teaches children how to separate,

struggle, return, and reconnect. And as we all now know, that rhythm was violently interrupted this

summer.

We now sit in grief—painfully and prayerfully—with all the families affected. As a psychotherapist, I

meet with many people each week, and I don’t know anyone—personally or professionally—who hasn’t

been touched by this disaster. The full scope of devastation has yet to reveal itself.

There are communities still beginning to understand what has been lost. Whether you’ve been directly

affected or are holding space for someone who has, this is a moment that calls us to come

together—healing through connection.

Texas is in pain—and we must remember that we do not heal alone. In times of disaster, our most

powerful medicine is connection. Whether you’ve lost everything or are bearing witness, this is a

moment to lean into relationship.

At The Jung Center, we have long understood that the way we navigate suffering depends on the depth

and quality of the relationships we carry—including the relationship with ourselves.

Grief moves through us all—sometimes loudly, sometimes in silence—and these moments of rupture

are also invitations to come together. To listen. To offer. To receive. Whether you’re the one being held

or the one doing the holding, remember: we heal together.

With deep care and connection,

John Price

President, The Jung Center of Houston

If you are looking for connection and community, consider joining us for our weekly Power of Community

online meditations on Tuesdays and Thursdays

(https://junghouston.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/junghouston/event.jsp?event=12358) or our online

Meditacion en Español on August 6

(https://junghouston.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/junghouston/event.jsp?event=12363). Or consult our

events calendar (https://www.junghouston.org/events) for a continually updated roster of classes and

events.

Additionally, The Jung Center's Mind Body Spirit Institute offers essays, podcasts and interviews, and a

variety of guided meditations - all free - on Substack https://themindbodyspiritinstitute.substack.com/.

If you would like to give to the affected communities and families, you can do so through the Community

Foundation of the Texas Hill

Country https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201, or you can give

to the Institute for Spirituality and Health’s Greater Houston Healing Collaborative

https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=Q8KZJT2Y8WREJ.