May 2026
by Nancy Vang, ETB Project Manager

Finding Peace in the Pause

Hello! I am Nancy Vang, the Project Manager for Expanding the Bench (ETB) and it’s lovely to write a piece during the month of my birthday this year. What a year that continues to unfold and I welcome you to what’s behind my desk as a full-time remote team member of ETB. What you see here in the blog banner is a clearer background of my little home office corner, one some of you may have seen as my Zoom background and usually blurred to keep my focus on the screen. While in past From the Desk Of…blogs we usually share our work desk, I share my what’s behind my desk and what fills my own moments of peace when I need to take a small break from the endless virtual meetings and the busy blue light of the matrix: my plants and a growing collection of artwork from local artists (some are not pictured or hung up yet, it’s still on my to-do list!).
 
When I can, I love swiveling around in my chair to see my plants and take in the presence of their lush, green beauty in the moment. What new leaf is starting to unfold? How long will my pothos trail down along the shelf? Can this leaf get any bigger? What new plant should I bring home? When I look at my growing collection of artwork, I am reminded to stay affirmed in my values and identities and remain grounded in the importance of art and expression despite whatever stories are being erased. These are small moments of many where I can recenter, refuel, and be reminded that the world is bigger beyond my little home office corner in front of a computer.
 

Among the messiness of the day-to-day, whatever new headlines fill up my notification inbox, an unexpected change in plans already made, checking off another task done in my overflowing to-do list, I am writing to remind you to keep finding moments of your own peace among the mess of whatever the day may bring you.

• What does a moment of peace look like for you?
• Is it a physical object on your desk that reminds you of someone you love?
• Is it taking a walk outside, even if it’s just for 5-minutes?
• Is it walking to the kitchen to grab your favorite snack before your next meeting?

Keep finding it and creating it in whatever ways can recenter and refuel you!