I’ve been a silent member of your circle for many months now – your Daily Dollop, Self-care minder and blog have been beakons of thoughtfulness in my life as has Comfort Queen. Reading your post and the responses to it gave me the momentum to finally post myself. This is something that I received as a fwd but seems to express so well what I want to say -

THIS SAYS IT ALL:

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don’t do what they’re supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.

BUT………

Sisters are there,
no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you.
A girl friend is never farther away
than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley’s rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley’s end.
Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you…Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn’t be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still.

My heart goes out to you, with love,
Gwen

Thank you. I feel like when I come here I am sitting in this sacred circle of women, except the circle is global and I can’t actually sit in it or see each of you. But better yet, I suppose, is the inner “seeing” that each of you allows me entry to, and I feel truly blessed in the same way as if I were hearing you read your words from the other side of the circle at a workshop.

What I so like about what Jennifer does here, is that she doesn’t make true, real, raw and edgy, weird and bulgy (is that a word?) feelings wrong. When we come here (since she opens such a wide space of honesty) we can as well. Many, many folks I’ve encountered along this journey have said, “You can’t dwell on that sad feeling or that alone feeling or that I-can’t-even-move-my-big-toe-today feeling.”

I’ve now decided after reading again and again the words drawn from the deepest places where we all live that we must share these feelings. If we don’t count them as important as the joy that we also are so fortunate to encounter why are we even here–to have smiley faces on all the time and never experience the alchemy we know in burning down the dark metal of our souls to get to the golden light each of us share inside?

When I read these words each of you write, I see both light and shadow dancing on the page. And I see even one greater, huger, wider, funner more beautifuller thing–unconditional love. How many places are there where we can find it, revel in it, know we’ll be accepted no matter what the alchemist is working with that day? I am honored to know each of you through your words.

Reading them is akin to looking in my simple white kitchen cabinet each morning to decide which coffee mug I want to use–they are all so lovely–the one with pink and yellow flowers, the handmade ones I got on my solo retreats to the mountains, the gigantic cream-colored one my daughter gave me this Christmas that assures I won’t have to go back for seconds, the light blue one from Starbucks splashed with white snowflakes. The beauty in the differences in all of those mugs reminds me of the beauty of what I read when you are so willing to open your heart on this page. I am forever changed by your words.

Thank you all. May 2008 bring us together with many words, many fuschia dreams, many gentle strokes of our sweet pet, or even lover. May the cupboard offer choices of mugs so rare and unique to only you that you will spend the year reveling in the joy of selection!!!

Karen

p.s. To Maureen, we must be kindred spirits as when I read your post (and I’m sorry I’ve been away a bit and not responded earlier) that spoke about our similar feelings, I had a resonance within–kindred spirit. There is also strength in being able to be alone. After reading the demands of your day, I do not wonder at all why you feel that gap within and without. Thank YOU for your words of support to me, as I feel them even at this moment. I return that love and support to you as you travel this 2008 road in its light and dark spaces. You are not alone. ks