Hanging Out with Spiritual Warriors
Spending the weekend in Galveston, hosted by Kathy Simmons and Debra Mullinnix, in their beautiful, freshly re-done home, in the mix of the Steering Committee members of the Houston More To Life program – yep … Life is good!
Some of us arrived Friday night, some on Saturday morning. We started around 9am
and 'worked' until about 10:30pm. And then again on Sunday till about 1:30 pm. It was a very full, rich weekend – mostly laughter, some tears, lots of innovative thinking and truth-telling, bold support, creativity, some nit-picking, course-correcting – we had it ALL!
Valerie Burson (Chair), Ann Mc (Support), Joy Partain (Student Engagement), Julie Fischer (Special Projects), Kathy Simmons (Kairos Sponsorship), Cathy Reinhold (Training Cycle Development), Leslie Pierkowski (Enrollment), Sylvia Hebert-Goldreyer (Leadership Development) and Mari Hall (Operations), and Robin Henry (Communications), not pictured.
Before dinner, walking on the beach – stopping to do a dis/avowal (one of the processes taught in the More To Life Weekend that disempowers beliefs that strangle your spirit) – picking up a seashell that I know Hayleigh will like – eating food prepared with love – coming to consensus about our goals for the year – acknowledging each other with words of truth – walking on the beach at night – listening to the waves – admiring Orion's belt – a sleep-over – organizing next steps – planning to celebrate our wins!
And here we are – ordinary people committed to an extraordinary mission, and in the process, consciously evolving our own lives – not too shabby!
Cathy and Sylvia and Valerie – getting it all recorded for posterity!
And catching Leslie finally getting some lunch.
And here's Sylvia and Mari reconnecting. (Mari has been living abroad for over 15 years, so it's good to have her back – you can find her at the Center these days.)
My learnings? There are many from this last weekend. It's OK to keep my mouth shut … AND it's OK to say things more than once. I am a crone. I absolutely can trust this group to hold the space of connectedness while negotiating rough water. The smell of the ocean, the sound of the waves, the light from celestial bodies, the bite of the wind, the dark of the night – magic. I still love caramel. All is well.
You really captured our gathering, Ann. We were blessed to have your insights, knowledge, spirit, and support! I learned about listening and being, and I appreciate your mastery of bringing us together – not only as individuals but also as a group of dedicated people seeking a common goal – seeking change in the world by offering the More To Life experience to people.
I will take an orange and a seashell… I miss the Houston More to Life group. Happy New Year to you all.
The more you learn, the more you know, The more you know, the more you forget. The more you forget, the less you know. So why bother to learn.