Until I had gone through my own Dark Night of the Soul, I did not realize just what a super power it was to be a woman!!!  Because of my Journey to Joi, I am passionate about showing all women that we are stronger than we think we are. We are super heroes…. even when we fall….. we pick each other up and straighten each others crowns.

This week we’ve been celebrating International Women’s Day across the globe.  According to Google…. International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.   Women’s Day was first observed on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Campaigns across Europe against WWI inspired women in other countries to adopt International Women’s Day. The date of observance moved to March 8 in 1913.   Google and the calendar may celebrate women one day of the year but I celebrate women EVERY-SINGLE-DAY!  Today I continue to share the 50 women and groups of women who have impacted my life.

The “woman” this week is actually a group of women whom I’d like to pay tribute to, is my tribe…. Now my tribe is made up of men and women but within my tribe there is a special circle of women who are affectionately known by me as “My Thursday Girls!”  They got the name a couple years ago when I was at a retreat.  We were sharing our Power Songs and it was my turn.  I had closed my eyes and was dancing my heart out to Olivia Newton John’s, “You Have To Believe We Are Magic”, when I opened my eyes I was encircled within the larger circle by the most beautiful souls I’ve ever had the privilege to walk this planet with….. One of them sang out, “Here’s your Thursday Girls!”   My heart spilled over from all the love I felt from them and all the love I felt for them!  

When I moved to Utah I was fortunate to live right down the road from a fabulous support group that met on Thursday afternoons.   This group, who were mostly women, have celebrated my triumphs in the best of times and wiped my tears during my dark times.  I sometimes think they know me better than I know myself or at least they know those parts of me that I sometimes don’t want to know or those parts of me that I forget are there when I’m deep in my shadow.  This is my tribe…. And within it, My Thursday Girls. 

There are never any judgments in this beautiful circle and honest vulnerability has built trust amongst our group.  We gather, we celebrate, we cry, we meditate, we hold space for each other and we send out love/healing/light and all the good stuff to those who suffer.  We pray for our families and friends together.  We pray for our leaders together.  We envision a life we can all share one day when those who cause suffering will awaken to their higher selves and we pray with faith that we will be the change we wish to see in our world.   What we can not do alone, we know we can do together.  We meet almost every Thursday…. Now we do it virtually…. To share ourselves with each other… and lend support and healing to our group. 

A long time ago I had heard a story about a tribe in Africa that would circle up when a baby was born and sing that baby’s soul song to them.  They would do this many times as the child was growing up and the song was to remind that child of who they were at their core.  Then if that child got into trouble, the tribe would circle up again to sing to the child a reminder of who they really were at their soul level.  I don’t know if this was a true story or not but I do know that this happens in my tribe.  Recently I went through a really tough situation and I felt like I was falling apart.  My shadow self was getting the best of me and my ego wanted desperately to lash out and wound other people involved.  I posted in our Thursday Group thread about the situation and how my “shadow” feelings were showing up, I was honest and vulnerable (and it wasn’t pretty) ….. Then I asked them for what I needed…I needed to know that I was enough!  That I was a good mom!  That I was a compassionate and loving human being!  I was struggling to not only see it in myself but also to be it.  I asked them to remind me of how THEY saw me so that I could see myself reflected back through their eyes.  The responses on the thread softened my heart and brought down my walls…. And not only did they sing my soul song to me on that thread but so many of my Thursday Girls reached out to me privately telling me just how strong I was, just how powerful I was, how compassionate I was and reminded me of the honor and integrity I so diligently did my best to walk through my life with.  They reminded me of my light when all I could see was the dark…. And with those little sparks of light…. I was able to step back into my light, find my grace and offer compassion to the person I had wanted to wound.  In singing my soul song to me…. My Thursday Girls offered me the compassion, trust and grace that I was able to reciprocate in this situation.  And that brought about pure magic and miracles.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again…. It truly matters who you surround yourself with.  Make sure the people you spend the most time with are those you admire and trust to encourage you to alway be your best self. 

Because I am a part of this tribe…Because I can trust that I will be seen, heard and understood if I ask for what I need….and Because I am deeply loved by my Thursday Girls….. I have been changed for good!  Namaste sweet sisters…. I love you.

My Thursday Girls is a circle that continues to add and expand as new “girls” show up for me and I am honored to show up for them …. If you are reading this and know about our wonderful Thursday group and you are wondering if you’re one of my Thursday girls…. Yes!  You are….Thank you for showing up!