Holly has bonded her spirituality to her activism. She began her relationship with Buddhism through Fo Guang Shan, an international Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order based in Taiwan that practices Humanistic Buddhism. However, she finds herself more aligned with Stephen Batchelor’s more secular Buddhism currently. Holly works in homeless services and is very passionate about promoting the inherent worth and dignity of all people as well as eliminating stigma about homelessness and behavioral health.
Mr. Rogers and the Buddha Saw Me Grieve
Mr. Rogers looked me in the eye from my television screen and told me about losing his childhood dog. Then he sang to me about how the same people who are sad sometimes are the people who are also glad sometimes. Then he continued the song with an observation about how it’s the same for him and I – this sadness and gladness.
There is Compassion in Harm Reduction {Trigger Warning}
I do not practice conditional compassion; I practice Harm Reduction. Imagine if I had left Darren alone in his room to inject what he had just purchased. He didn’t have any test strips that detect the presence of Fentanyl in his drugs and this was when we were just starting to see a lot of it pop up into the supply. If Darren had gotten a large enough unanticipated dose of fentanyl in his heroin that day and injected it, he might have died in that hotel room and not lived long enough to complete that housing assessment with me or gotten connected to resources that might have helped him. Recovery is only an option if he is alive.
I am Not Broken; I am Breaking Through
By Holly Herring I love being able to write things that people enjoy reading. For one, writing is a form of self care for me. Secondly, I have had such a challenging relationship with my writing that it's nice to be able to simply enjoy it. I was raised by my...
Fireworks, Belonging and Hope for Something More
By Holly Herring I have a guilty pleasure---it's fireworks. I know, sometimes the noise scares people, domestic pets and wild animals. I have been fortunate to never have a pet that was frightened by them. I have PTSD and I was also spared the fear of the loud...
I’d Rather Not Try the Green Chili: A Story of Impermanence & Embracing Uncomfortable
By Holly Herring Today I went to church. It was awful. For a little bit of the backstory, I just moved to a new state. I’m brand new here and I seem to have brought my expectations from my old state with me. Now, this church I went to had a great message...
Karma is Not a Bitch
By Holly Herring I’ve been hearing some things about karma lately that aren’t very cool. Where I’m from, karma is spread out over several lifetimes and it can barely be picked up on; it’s kind of a blip on the radar. It’s a little like, “Wait. Did you feel...
Striving for 100% and Giving Myself Grace
By Holly Herring I woke up this morning with the sudden realization, once again, that I am my own worst enemy. I’m the hard-headed type so I might have to wake up with this sudden awareness thousands of times before I finally get it, and that’s okay. This...
Loving Kindness While Living on Borrowed Time
By Holly Herring I’m living on borrowed time. I have to be. When I was a teenager I had a dream or revelation or something that suggested to me---quite strongly---that I would die before I hit 30. Looking back there had to have been a situation or something...
The Invisible People (The Modern Day Vimalakirti)
By Holly Herring My husband has started saying that I see “Invisible People.” It all started because I work in social services with people who are living without a house. I get paid to walk around outside and strike up conversations with people I identify as...