Lily

““Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will.” ”
— Cheryl Strayed

My daughter was diagnosed with vitiligo about a year ago, and I truly think it's the most magical thing in the entire world. I'm honestly jealous of her spots, her fierce and obvious authenticity. 

I decided ten minutes ago that I wanted to begin documenting it as a means of celebrating it over the years to come. 

We always tell her she is more magical than a unicorn and closer to the animal spirits, because of her vitiligo. It's a gift, we say. A miracle. 

I wanted to just capture her exactly as she is today: Two-day-old spring break braids, putting on her sandals in the afternoon light. And a few eyelashes dusted with constellations. 

Serendipity

This morning, while backing up some old hard drives onto our new system, I found these images from the little Vermont cabin we used to go to unplug and get away, when we lived in Connecticut. Lily was so little. I have no words for how seeing these makes me feel. Someone recently told me that serendipity means you are on the right path, and discovering these sweetest memories was the best kind of validation. 

July 2017 // New England

"But little by little, as you left their voices behind, the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds, and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own..." -Mary Oliver

New England, I'm coming back home.

I am offering Connecticut River Story sessions in the Salmon River, and also a brand new workshop in the expansive woods of Vermont.

I was going to wait until Spring to announce all of this, but I feel like the world needs beauty and collaboration and refreshing river waters and pine needles and friendships and campfires and creative powerhouses and H O P E now, more than ever before.

Let's gather together in the places where the wifi signal is weak, but the fierce female heart beats the hardest. Where we can quiet the noise long enough to hear the whispers of our own truths. Where we feel empowered in the company of mountaintops and maple trees, stretching toward the sky.

I have taught and mentored hundreds upon hundreds of creative women from around the world, and I believe, with all of my heart, that the most beautiful balm for our collective struggles is the combination of sisterhood and sacred space. There is something otherworldly about gathering women in nature, in the rivers, and I seriously cannot wait.

My heart is seriously doing cartwheels and just GLOWING as I share this. I can already feel the magic of it all! There are very limited spaces for each, and if any of this resonates with you, if what I am saying makes something light up in your heart too, I truly hope to see you this summer.

To learn more about the Vermont retreat, click here.  If you are ready to book a Connecticut River Story session, or a space at the retreat, please reach out, anytime. 

My heart is grateful.