Fell In Love...again!

Cruising through Facebook this morning, this picture popped out and spoke to me. Love at first sight.

I love women. There is an energy that exudes from most women that makes my cup runneth over.

I love men too, but, I find that most women hide the exuberance of their nature deep deep inside when men are around. When that happens, I believe men miss the truth of women, the spirit, the joy, the wholeness. When a woman hides the authenticity of her full self she is stunting the fullness of life. The world loses.

Rejoicing in my closest friends, including my sister, I have to admit we put it out there. Take it or leave it, this is who we are. Buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Maybe that is why women gathering together is so glorious. We open up, we share our truth, we love one another for who we are and we call each other on our shit!  We laugh, we cry and we swear when swearing is called for. I don't know many women who spit...but we can if we wanted to!

This picture makes my heart rejoice. Even the cells in my body dance with memory of ages and ages of women; gathering berries and roots with their babies strapped to their backs. It reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen; our women's lost weekends; sitting in my sister's back yard on her Adirondack chairs.  Reminds me of finding the briefcase on the steps of the Muni in San Francisco and dancing with my cousins in Zion.  Reminds me of sharing a beer on the shore of Whiskeytown Lake with a dear friend. Reminds me of the day I slammed on the brakes on a hot day on Highway 299 with five other women in the car.  We ripped off our clothes and dove into the cool water; skinny- dipping right next to the Highway. It reminds me of the morning we drunken pagans slept-in on the floor of the Jacqueline's beautiful Victorian in San Francisco, while the more devout trudged on to church. It reminds me of singing the blues on the houseboat on Shasta until Sally's fingers bled.

It does, indeed, remind me of my sister, Sherree, and her dearest friends, who embody the spirit of this picture in so many ways, who love each other unconditionally.

The three beautiful women in this photo fill my heart with love and memories of days long past, kitchens long gone and many days and moments yet to be.

Being able to witness this moment with these three women is truly a blessing. Thank you, Ladies of Joy and Mirth, for the honor. To have shared my own moments with friends and sisters, aunts and cousins inspires my soul to dance.

p.s. For the few men who have joined us in these moments and jumped in with both feet, I applaud you.