Since I’ve been blogging about Anna and I there have been trips to get away from this demanding life. They are getaways for myself, sometimes they are special with other moms getting away too. This past weekend was a trip that is close to my heart and never disappoints. It’s called Mom’s Night Inn. It is organized out of a retreat center for children who are deaf. It’s called the Holley Family Village. This trip is not only for kids who are deaf it is also for any mother who has a child who has some hearing loss. (And other conditions). At this retreat we gather as moms. It’s a reunion for some and it’s an initiation for some. A deep and warm initiation.
It’s beyond enjoyable to sit with women who can talk about the hot topics of Warrior motherhood and understand the deep intrusion at times it puts on our world. We can help each other to move in a better direction when doctors or sometimes school professionals are not hearing us. We can talk about how far we have come and we can find remedies for the pain of what we experience as we navigate this beautiful but different mothering pattern we live. Sitting by the fireplace in a warm building while eating and drinking coffee when you are completely removed from your home life. In the middle of the woods with other moms who listen and understand cannot be put into the right words, because simply, there are so many words.
We painted and we played a game like a scavenger hunt. We chose a theme that was snowflakes. Our mantra was “One of a Kind Together we Shine.” We used snowflakes in many of our discussions and our art work. We made window clings and bracelets and had the most relaxed and crafty time together. Our leader’s two sisters came and cooked all the food. They do not have children with special needs . Their nephew has impacted them to give back to us moms in a way that is so unique and generous. We were called to eat with a buffet of delectable food that was nurturing to our souls. The ladies met old friends and helped the new friends enjoy and dump their emotions and pick them up in a better pile on the way out.
We had an activity in which we wrote a letter to our former self of five years past. We used the year 2020 and wrote what we have seen and become since that time. Many of the beautiful women disliked this idea but they came full force to make it happen. (Warriors) The tears poured on some of the faces as they took pen to paper. The room was full of heavy emotions and true self value and discovery. Try this at home. It’s well worth it.
On the second day since I’m a runner I put my running gear on. I am in a room alone because I wake around 5 am and run around 6 am. I don’t want to disturb my roommate. On day two I geared up and went outside. As soon as I opened my door I met the world. The world of beautiful white snow on the ground. Snow falling, and snow that had landed. The morning was dark but the snow hit my face and I was transformed. It was a surprise. It met our theme. My brain told me I couldn’t run because of my fear of falling since my injury. I decided to walk fast and then soon I was at a safe jog. I had discovered a place that even though I’ve been coming for years was new to me the day before. Now, with the snow falling and the darkness I ran to it again.
The place was again, beyond words but I’ll try. A quiet and unreal force in nature that sat waiting for those to encounter it. There were the stations of the cross in the woods calling the person to come and see, come and pray, come and be still. I felt warmer than before, better than before and luckier than ever to be here, at this still place in the woods, alone with my God and my light. I sat and prayed and became even more full of the wonder of this life. All thanks to the idea that Anna leads me to these places, these spaces and these people that I would never ever have known if she wasn’t born from my womb. I am one lucky Warrior.
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Happy snowy season
