I am because we are
The eight of us filled the meditation room with anticipation and curiosity for the next few days to come. We introduced ourselves and how we got to this very spot. I was seated next to a 55-year-old woman who I would meditate next to for about 12 hours over the next four days. She said she had come here to do something for herself, to put herself first for once. "With kids and grandkids, it seems that I am never in peace. Maybe I never was." I felt the unrecognized sacrifices that dressed her, drained her. I wanted to hold out a hand but kept it at my lap. This retreat is an independent journey, I validated my distance. Respect others' space. But I still wanted to connect with her in a more profound way than as neighbors. She is the same age as when my dad passed. Caring for her would be like caring for him. In October, I will have lived half of his life, a fact that has been consuming my conscious thoughts. It is not a coincidence that we have sat beside each other, I thought...
