Energy

I was requested to "kick off" the series for the year! The Working Women's Wednesdays series in Alamance County, Burlington, NC. Thrilled when they invited me to speak at their monthly meeting, I also found myself eager to attend this event. Yesterday ... was once again, surreal.

Over 90 members of this group, also part of the Women's Resource Center, gathered for lunch in a sprawling country club for lunch and to listen to a speaker ... this time ... it was me. The topic - Reiventing your Life, from Office to Author.

I'm finding today's women like it given to them straight. They appreciate the fact that I shoot from the hip, and I don't color it up with fancy words or flowery ideas.

"This may not even be the Rah Rah speech you came thinking you were going to hear. The kind I’m sure one you’ve heard over and over from Corporate Women Cheerleaders the world over. They all tend to say the same things, don’t they?

But this is about REAL life. What I’m trying to tell you is that no matter how desperate your situation, no matter where you are in your job or career, when you’ve been told all hope is gone, when you’ve believe there’s nothing left to live for, when you think you’ve sunk as far as you can go and there’s no more light left in your tunnel, my message to you is … there is life … there is hope … even after hitting bottom. I want you to know … no matter your age or how fraught the circumstances, you can still inch your way up and come out of the dark and into the life that is calling your name."

The response was once again, tremendous. Heartfelt wishes and expressions of gratitude came pouring through the lips of these women ... all of course, in line to purchase a copy of SOUTHERN FRIED WOMEN. I was touched and moved at their emotion and response to me.

I found myself inspired ... when it was me who came to do the inspiring.

Again today, I met with three wonderful writing friends for an early lunch before one took off to fly to the Maui Writer's Conference. We huddled around a table at Panera for two hours and shared our writing lives. Dena, Lisa, Carol and I laughed and learned from each other ... all of us amazed at the energy we produced.

The energy I find so evident each day as I network among women could light a city for a week! The flow of nuturing women transcends time and space ... from that of mother, wife, sister, grandmother, aunt, cousin into that of friend, confidant, caregiver, ally, and colleague.

Women are continually pregnant with energy ... we are all things to all people.

Blessings to you and yours.