When I left for college, I was in the midst of a lot of loss. My first semester at UT was a blur. In every picture I am wearing the same pair of light blue overalls. I think they must have brought me comfort. Forty two pictures, one pair of overalls. I needed a lot of comfort.
But then one semester, comfort came another way. New friends came into my life unexpectedly, oddly, almost miraculously and somehow we had all faced recent similar losses. It was uncanny except that it brought comfort. Even in our tragedies, we recognized the solace that came from our sisterhood of shared losses.
Finding space, finding voice, finding choice about things we don’t easily talk about is the crux of The Sacred Way. The Sacred Way is a group that opens conversations about things like spirituality, grief, sex and race. This summer, we spent six weeks talking about the spiritual landscape in our hearts. We met every other week for two hours. We used Hillary McBride’s latest book Holy Hurt as an invitation to consider how we have been hurt emotionally and how that hurt affects us spiritually. We bonded, learned some meditations, tried some embodiment practices and embarked on creative self expressions in art and writing. It was beautiful!
This Fall, The Sacred Way turns toward grief.
“I have no idea where I’m going …… most days I’m a stranger to
myself……I’m scared the world is moving on without me …….Years
go by just like that …… And then ……there is love” Rupi Kaur
Grief is not a problem to solve. Whether loss is fresh and raw or many years have passed, this space could be for you. Grief does not end. Every story belongs. Connecting with others can open pathways to comfort. Love shows up in mystery, in art, in music, in poetry, in nature, in creativity, in presence, in people and it very often brings hope.
Maybe the Sacred Way is for you.
This Fall, The Sacred Way meets on Monday Evenings and Friday Mornings, guided by Mirabai Starr’s Caravan of No Despair. If you are curious about connecting with others around grief, you are warmly invited. There will be meditations, space for engaging your creativity and of course connection with other beautiful people. Come share your story, your heart, your beauty …. You may be surprised by the connections you make with yourself and others. I will be hoping to see you there!
