Still Lake Listening

At our Story Weavers retreat, I (Sandra) and another participant happened upon a zippy, purposeful, get-'er-done caterpillar. Or, perhaps the caterpillar Happened Upon us? Either way, we watched her (for the sake of this pondering, she was certainly a She) for a moment -- all inch-worming at a remarkable pace -- when, suddenly, she began to thrash about in the clover. Simultaneously, we gasped, "Oh! What's happening?" and, "Is she okay?"
And then, out she squirmed from her thrashing panic, continuing on her lurch-glide-lurch-glide way beyond our sight. "Ahhhh," I sighed, "She's okay. She just needed to disentangle herself."
We sat with that a moment. Hmmm. She just needed to distentangle. Herself.
Sometimes...often times...that is just what we do, isn't it? We find ourselves all stuck and bothered and thrashing about in the struggle of the moment. And, one way or another, we find our way through and out of it.
Sometimes...often times...we need someone outside of our own thinking and feeling selves to offer space and nonjudgment for the disentangling.

~ Image may be from The Happiness Project? If not, credit where credit ought to go!

This. We love this so much. These women (all women?): Power. Humility. Pride. Skill. Compassion. Camaraderie. Competitive, without making another smaller or lesser than. 💙💙💙

"Aw, look how they hold hands when they go to the other side of the net?" my teenage daughter said. "I'm loving the women supporting women vibe of this Olympics!"

And as I watched Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, the United States' best beach volleyball pair, interlock their fingers as they walked to their bench, I totally got what my daughter was saying because beautiful moments like these are happening like rapid fire right now.

It's Allyson Felix launching a first-of-its-kind nursery for athlete mothers at the Olympics, and marathon runner Aliphine Tuliamuk and judoka Clarisse Agbégnénou advocating for breastfeeding space.

It's watching U.S. women's soccer coach Emma Hayes walking with her arm around Japan's Maika after a hard-fought loss.

It's Suni Lee and Simone Biles cheering on Brazil's Rebeca Andrade during the all-around, knowing what the three of them have overcome in the last few years.

It's rugby player Ilona Maher inspiring young girls to love their bodies no matter what the size.

It’s Katie Ledecky sharing the podium with her teammate Paige Madden.

It's South Korea's shooting Silver medalist and maybe the coolest person at the Olympics Ye-ji Kim carrying around a stuffed elephant that her daughter gave her.

It's Sha'Carri Richardson walking over to Julien Alfred after losing the 100m race and giving her a hug, then gleefully celebrating her Silver medal along with her teammate who won Bronze..

Millions of women seeing women supporting women. It is so powerful. It spreads like wildfire.

It's Adele stopping a concert to watch the women's 100m race last night.

It's Shannon Miller jumping for joy when Simone Biles broke her medal record.

It's Michele Kang contributing to lesser-known sports and women's teams, and the first stadium built for women’s sports in KC. (And shout out to Flavor Flav for helping out the women's water polo team because he's a "girl dad.")

When we see women supporting women instead of cutting them down, it's when the game changes, it's when we can meet our potential, and it's when we become unstoppable forces in this world.

Sports has always had a direct effect on society on multiple levels, from supporting vulnerable and marginal groups and rallying a nation in transition to building confidence and creating opportunities for youth.

We are living change right now, and dang, girls! You are killing it!

Even if you are not a sports fan, there is something electric about what's happening right now. Use it as a spark to engage with your daughters and with your sons.

And when you have an opportunity to lift a girl up, take it. There is enough success for all of us.

So, when I saw those two teammates walking hand in hand back onto that sandy court, I felt the vibe that my daughter was talking about.

And I want to see more of it, too.

Love hard. It's the only thing that matters.

Whitney Fleming Writes

Did you know? We're walkin'. All through summertime and into autumn you can join a contemplative (mindful) walk. 'Not local to the Cochrane, Alberta area? Experience what it's like to be companioned, in silence, as we walk you virtually along some of our prairie paths. Reach out for more information, or book the time that suits you best at https://calendly.com/still-lake-listening/mindfulness-walks-drop-in.

Groups are on pause through the summer weeks as Michelle and Sandra take some time for study and personal reflection. We welcome you to one-on-one, joint-on-one, and Mindfulness Walks all summer long. For a quick glance at availability, find us at https://calendly.com/still-lake-listening 🩵💙🩵

This quote feels a bit like work. I (Sandra) am not sure how I feel about that? We might wonder, "How willing am I to stop trying so hard to find the Wisdom that lives in me...How willing am I to simply allow that Wisdom to burble -- all alive and wild and wondering and unstoppable -- to the surface? How willing am I to participate with the Wisdom (Love, Mercy, Patience) that simply Is?"

Do you have a favourite children’s book? A story that sticks with you…even decades later? Are you curious about how the stories of your own Little years helped form you? Do you recall how they comforted or inspired you?

Spend a day experiencing the hope and magic of childhood stories, and the restorative mischief and wonder they are inviting us into today. This retreat is for anyone curious to engage in conversation, artistic exploration, and a little heart work around Self, Belief, and healing (ps: no artistic talent or literary expertise required).

Still Lake Listening is excited to join with Allison McBain Hudson, a Children’s Lit. lecturer and PhD candidate at Dublin City University in Ireland, and Kathy Tippe, an artisan bookmaker and expressive arts facilitator with from Canmore, for a full day retreat at the King’s Fold Retreat Centre.

Follow this link, or find it on our home page: https://still-lake-listening.com/story-weavers-retreat/

Join us for, Story Weavers: Coming Home to Self Through the Magic of Children's Books -- a 1 day retreat on July 22nd! Find out more at
https://still-lake-listening.com/story-weavers-retreat/, or
just pop us a message and we'll get you the details.
This will be a 15-person group retreat held out at King's
Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre -- a day for wonder, laughs,
healing, and connecting.

~ photographer unknown

We are so completely excited about one of our retreat offerings coming this July, Story Weavers: Coming Home to Self Through the Magic of Children's Books! Find out more at https://still-lake-listening.com/story-weavers-retreat/, or just pop us a message and we'll get you the details. This will be a 15-person group retreat held out at King's Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre -- a day for wonder, healing, and connecting.

Just this week we heard (again) about how people are wishing for, searching for, spaces where they can just Be with their grief. Resilient You Art Therapy has an offering that may be a good fit for you!