Alejandro Polo - On Healing

Alejandro Polo

During 2018, I found myself facing many personal hardships that led me into deep depression. During the holidays, I decided to look for a house of worship where I could meditate and be with my thoughts. I felt that I needed the energy that comes with being inside a church to start the new year on a different path. As a lapsed Catholic, I was not feeling the idea of attending mass. I was about to search churches near my home when I recalled a Facebook post from my friend Jillian Baez and Beacon member about a talk on her book at a nearby "church." I didn't know anything about Unitarian Universalism, but there was a restaurant down the block from Beacon that I wanted to try.

My first time at Beacon, the service had poetry readings and, at the end, an invitation to come the following week for a concert. My biggest surprise that day was the invitation to join the congregants for coffee. What would I do in a room full of strangers, I thought! I had spent my adult life avoiding people out of fear of having to share my life story, a practice that came about from hiding the fact I had lived as an undocumented immigrant in this country for over a decade. At the end, the experience was different. It was the first time that I felt church was about community. 

After weeks of attending services, I realized that Beacon's social justice groups were an excellent way to use my energy to help others. I still had a lot of issues going on, but I had time on my hands. At Beacon, I've also had the opportunity to be part of groups where I was able to learn about myself and grow as a person, while receiving the support of people who care about me and others. The Beacon community has influenced my recovery from depression, helped me grow as a human, and given me a conduit to make the world a better place.

Today I find myself in a much better place. In the spring of 2021, I'm weaning myself off antidepressants, and I'm looking forward to growing my circle of friends. At Beacon, for the first time, I feel safe sharing my life story. Beacon was a big part of my personal growth and recovery. I hope to be able to continue to be a part of this community and to help as much as Beacon has helped me.