I have enjoyed the fellowship of so many women in the last month. I led the last Stretching Forward retreat for 2022 at Lakeside in October. Six women found new ways to celebrate what’s right with their lives, enjoy delicious meals, share fun exercises, take walks along the lake, and laugh. We watched Mrs. Harris celebrate her dreams in Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. We explored new habits to try as a way to celebrate life. My favorite is the concept of blending, very different from balancing. Blending isn’t ‘either/or’ or ‘black/white,’ but more ‘both/and thinking.’ It’s finding the right amount of each item in your life to make the best blend now, like a fine wine. When we shift to blending our lives - a little more of this and a little less of that - we create room for the lights and shadows that are an inevitable part of life. It’s a rhythm. Life flows like a river and as it does, we find the right blend for our life today. Changing even just one thing tomorrow will make a new blend, the right one for that moment. We find more flexibility in blending and, as a result, more celebration in the moment.
Two weeks after the retreat my daughter and I spent an overnight in an airbnb to acknowledge my 70th birthday, a delayed celebration from the past summer. She planned our overnight to be after the retreat, allowing me to be totally in our moment, in the blend of our mother/daughter time. We were an empty nester and a mother of two young children just being together. We hiked at Hocking Hills, discovered a wonderful book store in German Village, did some holiday shopping, and found several delicious meals in local restaurants, all in less than 30 hours. We savored each moment. A respite for both of us and a time to step away from our day to day lives to share each other’s company. As she gets older I hope my eight year old granddaughter adds to our getaway blend. For now, she is learning the importance of self care from both of us.
Last weekend we travelled to North Carolina to celebrate my stepdaughter’s birthday with her husband, daughter, and friends. Another woman in my life full of joy and love she shares with her two year old daughter every day. What a blessing for my granddaughters to watch their mothers and grandmothers living their best lives.
I also spent time on Oak Island with seven retreat leaders I had never met for a collaboration weekend. We took time to share ideas, discuss details of our retreats, and have fun together. It was a wonderful group of women who value sharing their wisdom, giving back to others, lifting up each other, and encouraging every woman to stretch toward their passion. I enjoyed solitary walks on the ocean beach as I listened to the waves, watched the birds near the shore fly away as I came near, found a horseshoe crab shell, and smelled the salty air. We played games, laughed, celebrated a birthday, and learned from each other. It was food for the soul as we bonded and we plan to be together again next spring as a way to continue to encourage each other.
Celebration comes in many forms and there are habits we can learn to make each day special. As you ease into the holiday season, take time to remember what and why you are celebrating, then feel the joy each event brings to the moment. Look for ways to take the stress out of this season and embrace the wonder all around you. I hope you find a delicious blend of love, joy, and peace for the last several weeks of 2022.
