2012 Women's Retreat Epistle

Retreating, we remember

Waves of the Presence permeate

Rising us up and breaking

us open.

Tumbling, engulfed and

Finally floating

Everyone’s story-our own.

To Friends Everywhere:

Namaste.

This is an organic annual Gathering of Baltimore Yearly Meeting (BYM) Women—an ebb and flow of fellow seekers. We come to be rejuvenated by the Light that seems to shine more brilliantly when we worship, sing, listen, play, dance laugh and cry together. Our stories of triumphs and tribulations and the journey toward love inspire and nurture each of us in different ways. This year our host meeting, Sandy Spring (Maryland) invited five women of BYM to share their journeys.

These Quaker women remind us that when we attend to the spirit the courage to act rises. Bette Hoover (Sandy Spring) shared her journey, and included the vignette from a Native American Grandmother answering a young woman: “How do I know when I’m on my path?” “Just look at your feet!” Susan Kaul from Bethesda Meeting shred her story of how over time she came to know that God was accompanying her, whether she was aware of it or not. Ramona Buck of Patapsco Meeting, told the story that sometimes conflict seems like a monster, but we should walk to it and through it, and on the other side an elegant solution can appear though we may not see it at first. Mosi Harrington of Adelphi Meeting reminded us that there are billions of children of God. Accompanying others on their journey may be all that is needed. We do not have to be brilliant to be effective, but dogged. Show up. Dance into our power! Pat Schenck (Annapolis) reminded us that the enemy of power is worrying about what others think of us. Although we are each unique children of God-we are not better or worse than anyone else is—just unique.

As we told our stories to each other, we felt the ebb and flow of our connections. We carry forward a renewed sense of Spirit.

Reflect

Listen, Plan, Affirm

Breathe

Create, Play, Sing

Share, Dance, Eat Talk

Dive in.

Connect Renew.

Namaste.

The Women of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Women’s Retreat

From Skycroft Retreat Center, Middletown Maryland