Wise Women
There are times when the best medicine is to stick your head in the sand. This is exactly what one friend wanted to do last week. When overwhelmed by dissonance, confusion, anger, gut wrenching fear and existential angst, avoiding reality - for a little while - can be an act of self care.
I was lucky: my escape was already planned. Every year, on the second weekend in November, I gather with seven chosen sisters who I’ve journeyed with for over 35 years. We've supported each other through many births, deaths, marriage, divorce and so much more. These six women watched me fall into a cult and eighteen years later, snap out of it. At times, this caused ugly, painful interactions, but in the decade since I left the cultic grip, our love and trust in each other has ripened and deepened. Through the years, we’ve become wiser and gentler. 💫
This year’s pilgrimage into the shelter of each other couldn’t have been timed better, all of us triggered in different ways by world, national and personal events. We set clear intentions around how we wanted to spend our time together and created a loving container, safe for our complicated feelings. A theme emerged: the importance of focusing close to home - to preserve our energy for the people, projects, and passions we hold most dear.
Although we reveled in time away from time, we were not sticking our heads in the sand. In fact, I now realize that we were behaving with the dignity and feminine instinct of the ostrich who nuzzles her incubating eggs, turning them with deliberate care to assure their healthy development. To the casual eye, an ostrich may appear to be hiding in the sand, when in truth, she's tending her babies. 🌟
I am privileged to have witnessed so many women care for each other with similar tenderness when sharing and honoring each other’s written words. In fact, the insight and sensitivity that is expressed during Writing to Reckon classes is blossoming in depth and wisdom, often leaving me speechless.
You too can experience this for yourself. Attend a Writing to Reckon class, or apply for the Spring 2025 Connections program or indulge in a Private Retreat, to write through cultic discord and give voice to the wise woman within.
Warmly,
Gerette
PS. I'm talking to the men in the room too. 😉
PPS. Take a breath, ask yourself: what 'baby' is most important for me to focus on at this time? Please hit reply, if you'd like to share it.
* Learn more about the ostrich here.
