Blog Thoughts: Small reflections from a retreat.

Coming home from a retreat has so many different emotions. While the first is exhaustion, it is quickly followed by profound gratitude for being able to do this work. Months go into the planning of one retreat; I host anywhere from 3-5 a year. Each one is created very especially for the weekend. And once I get to know my participants via email sign ups, little communications; I tailor the retreat quite specifically to the journeys being walked. I never know how it will turn out; I am often my worst critic as I can say we all have that in common. In the end I am left in awe and reflection for days if not weeks to come, as little gems come back to me in offerings shared.

What I find as the greatest gift is that these women come from so many different and diverse backgrounds. This past weekend we were represented farthest in this group from MA MI OH VA TN to NC, truly remarkable. Our age range went from 51 to 85 with a 75th birthday celebration in the middle. I had my childhood friend for over 40 years who we have stayed in touch with, I had not seen in 30yrs attend, and we picked up from where we left each other! The diverse stories and voices brought gifts and blessings for each journey. We all walked away blessed in hearing these new voices and making new friends for life. The eagerness to stay connected post retreat warms my heart even more.

The season has come to a close and I will return at the end of September for an entire new round. In the meantime, you will hopefully hear more about these incredible stories through posts, essays and creating new work with the beautiful takeaways from these weekends. I love this work. Not everyone always understands what I do or counts it as real work. But my voice, my passion and my journey is shining brighter than ever and I am not stopping. Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me into your lives.
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