Here’s what I want to tell you. I always wanted to write, but didn’t have the courage.
But then I found myself in a workshop in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, seated with 19 other women, pen in my hand. I was there for the escape - to this town of color and a foreign language and what I thought would be lots of photography. But there I was, being asked to write for two hours each morning.
A poem was read, and it called to me with gentle compassion. This was our prompt, along with the instructions “write as poorly as possible, we already love you” which helped calm me down. With my hands shaking, the words flew out of me onto the page. I looked up to see the room full of women, all of their pens moving too.
And then there was the call to read, which made my heart stop and my solar plexus a whirlygig. “You don’t have to read,” she said, “but it would be very generous of you to do so.” Hearing others read, I felt comforted, not alone. The words were coming out of my mouth. I was aware of the tears streaming, my tongue seemingly unable to form a syllable, let alone a sentence. But the looks around the table were telling me I must be speaking with some clarity, because they were nodding, hearing me, understanding me.
Something in me woke up that day. Maybe it was my voice. Maybe it was my courage. But I knew that I wanted to keep going, to keep writing and to offer others this experience of being held in a space where we felt free to share, to tell the truth.
Fun Facts About Me!
I am a beekeeper who is missing her hives.
I am afraid of heights and love to hike 13,000 foot mountains.
I am not afraid of awkward silences, I revel in those moments to just be with no need to fill the gap.
I have a horse named Meadow and my favorite place to be is in a pasture full of fresh hay and poop.
My background is in law and accounting. I self-identify as someone who loves to learn and dig deeper into what really turns me on.
I wear my heart on my sleeve, but you wouldn’t know it when I’m playing poker.
I love gardening and my favorite thing to harvest is potatoes. It’s like finding a treasure.
My current daily exercise is snowball fights with my golden retriever, Earlie.
I’ve lived all over the country, but call Gunnison Valley, Colorado my home today.