rainy days are good for this

One thing I realized this week as I settled back into my life here and began integrating all that I experienced at serendipity— this was the first retreat I had been on since that landmark watershed four days in 2006.*

Right. I know, right. Why would this not occur to me? Um, because I have been at eight squam retreats since 2006– difference is, doh, I was working. And it is a mighty difference.

Michelle had insisted I come and play and rest and relax at serendipity. “I don’t want you to do anything!” she said. And let me assure you, I took her at her word. People were sweeping floors, hauling groceries, cleaning dishes— I stepped around them without so much as an offer to hold the door. Seriously, I went full out into ‘no work for me’ mode.
NOTE TO SELF: man, you can drop into lazy ass like nobody’s business!

As a result, I had nothing to focus on but me. (<– ahem, pretty much the point of the retreat) And, wow– do I have issues. Always with the issues. But, progress has been made and some really cool bits came out of those four days.

1. Strong Medicine
I now look back on life experiences– painful, bad ones– with an eye toward seeing it as strong medicine. Man, that changes everything for me. Talk about release and forgiveness.

When you see a bad event in your life as a way of gifting your soul with the growth it needed, man does it look different. The people playing the parts/roles I needed them to play so I could learn what I needed to learn. Total flipping different way of looking at an experience. So, thank you PIXIE for your teachings and guidance.

2. We are, each of us, multidimensional. Our work is to integrate the many disparate parts, with love, light and compassion.

3. Hamburger on white toast with melted cheese is sometimes better than cupcakes.

4. Sitting around a bonfire on the beach sharing stories is deeply healing.

5. Sinking, naked, into a hot tub under a clear, midnight sky filled with stars can remind you how much magic is all around us all the time.

6. Taking time out of your life to reconnect with your best self is a gift beyond gifts.
Thank god there are these retreats in the world– and that there are more starting up everyday.

This morning it is rainy and a bit chill. Henry has expressed his displeasure with my inability to provide a dry place for him to enjoy his morning stroll. Daisy has expressed her disappointment with my lack of interest in taking a long, wet walk in the woods. I am reminding them both that they are dogs– dogs living the life of Riley, ahem.

Bisous, E

*a million apologies for all the random question marks laced through the bluepoppy post— when we shut it down it became a spam and coding errorpalooza and so that’s what it looks like now, alas.