MONTH 1: Introductions: "Getting to Know You"
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2024, 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM CT

Women from all over will be entering this Circle to help co-create it. You may have no idea why you signed up, but all of you heard some little niggling from within that prompted you to click that link. Some people may have had the intention, but didn't take the action to actually be here.

Let's see who the Universe has assembled to this sacred space for this very special first gathering. A wise woman teacher of mine once taught me the significance of "firsts" and "lasts" and since then I have never let them pass without acknowledging them.

I can't wait to see the synchronicities and the Aha's start flying as it becomes revealed who we all are and why we are all here together.


MONTH 2: "Sharing our Childhoods and Family of Origin"
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024, 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM CT

You can't know where you're going, if you don't remember where you've been. A lot of people in this world try to put their childhoods behind them and never look back. Get nostalgic. Do you remember the milkman delivering glass milk bottles with those red and white paper caps? Me and my friends used those as hats on our Troll Dolls.

Where are you in the birth order? Middle child, only child, oldest, baby of the family? Did you benefit in some way or did you just get hand-me-downs? What's your very first memory? See if we can keep this fun and light - we will broach traumatic memories down the road. Who were you as a child?


MONTH 3: "Dreams and Passions"
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2024, 12:00 Noon - 1:30 PM CT

Not what you are dreaming now in your last third of life, but what were your dreams of being when you grew up? Did you get there? Did they change because you outgrew them or because someone convinced you to give them up?

What did you love to do when you were between 7 and 10? What were you naturally drawn to and talented in? Did you play with dolls or climb trees? Did you make things? Or were you someone who liked to see how stuff works by taking it apart and maybe being able to put it back together?

Are you still "feeding your Inner Child" with the nourishment that used to excite her? Or is she potentially sabotaging you for forgetting all about her?


MONTH 4: "Aging Well in Brain/Body/Emotions and Spirit"

Dr. Daniel Amen talks about the 4 Circle Prescriptions for a well-rounded treatment of the whole person. Those included Biological (nutrition, supplements, sleep, movement), Psychological, Social (relationships/socializing/playing) and Spiritual (nature, chanting, praying, meditating and however you connect with Spirit).

How are you doing in all those areas of your life? Is there one that needs more support? Are you hydrating? Walking? Breathing deep belly breaths? Are you getting your 7 - 8 hours of restful sleep? Do you remember to take your supplements and prescription medications as prescribed? Do you have enough good friends for socializing and playing with?


MONTH 5: "Age Discrimination and Implicit Bias"

We are all aware of societal prejudices and we all carry them, whether we are aware of them or not and whether we want to acknowledge them or not. Let's bring them out of the closet! This group itself is about busting myths of the little old lady with the blue hair and the cane. Of course, if that describes you, you're still invited to join us.

You may need to dig deep, but I'll show you mine if you show me yours! I have to admit I assume women drivers drive slowly and I'll need to pass them on the road. I'm an old cab driver and I have an Inner Rhonda Racer, so get out of my way! My mother used to warn me about "old men in hats" that she hated getting stuck behind.

Some biases may be seemingly innocuous, but many are deep-seated and just plain outdated and wrong. It's time to speak them out loud, so be thinking about what yours is. I know I'm making light of it, but this is actually a heavy issue.


MONTH 6: "Spirituality"

As so many of us, I know we are Spiritual Beings having a human experience. In the U.S. we live in a country that constitutionally demands Separation of Church and State, and we have created a melting pot of people from all of the world's religions. Some people are still worshiping as they did with their family of origin, but I bet many of us have found a new sense of Spirituality that is separate from any formalized religious beliefs.

Some people have gravitated to new thought institutions such as Unity and some gather in circles around other written materials such as A Course in Miracles or The Urantia Book. Still others seek to find Spirit within themselves, or simply meditate or garden to commune with nature and find solace there.

As women of a certain age, most of us are making peace with the finite number of years we have left in this body. We can also share our beliefs in what comes after. Some of you may even have stories of already having gone to the other side through an NDE, or having had some form of a miracle you've witnessed in your own life. I'm excited to hear what people will share!

MONTH 7: "Share a Traumatic Memory From as Far Back as You Can"

Statistically, no matter what you hear, I am going to assume that at least half of the women in the group have been sexually or physically abused as children or adults. The saddest thing I hear from my clients is the part when they tell me what happened, then blame themselves. No, no, no! I hate to tell you how often my job is to help them understand it wasn't their fault.

The real sad part is how the trauma will continue to live inside of you until you are ready to heal it. Not just cover it up with forgiving the perp, but by experiencing the pain associated with it and actually healing it. Then you can be free to forgive the one who hurt you AFTER you have absolved yourself and your Inner Child of any responsibility.


MONTH 8: "Relationships"

At this age, we have probably had lots of them! Of course there are lots of types of relationships, so if you choose to focus on the one you have with your kids or grandkids, that's fine. But it could be a good time to share with other women any issues you may be having with your husband (or wife), or your ex(es). And then there are the in-laws and the blended families! But this can also be about friends and siblings. God knows, I hear some horror stories about sisters who aren't talking to each other. That is so sad.

This subject happens to be one of my specialties. I have actually created a Relationships Quiz I administer while working with couples, and my way of helping them is quite innovative and very different from traditional counseling. Did you marry your father (or your mother)? Do your kids know how to manipulate the two of you through triangulation? Are you living in a tangle of co-dependency, and do the same issues follow you from relationship to relationship? Plenty to discuss!


MONTH 9: "Sex and Sexuality"

Statistically speaking, this group, and every segment of any given population, should have 10% who are not strictly heterosexual. Just sayin'. I don't want to "out" anyone, but I definitely want this to be a safe place for women to feel comfortable to be themselves, and for there not to be anyone who will judge them for it.

In the 1950s the Kinsey Report told us that sexuality is fluid, like a bell curve with only a small segment who are completely on one end or the other. Unfortunately, until recently, that fact was not enough to stop discrimination and a lot of pain for so many. Not here.

So many angles to discuss around this topic, pick one. Let's include how we were told about sex, or even our periods! And how did you tell your daughter(s)? Clarissa Pinkola Estes has a lot to say about taking back the sacredness of menstruation, and I'll read a little from how she talks about it in "Women Who Run with The Wolves."

And how about the issue women deal with when the estrogen levels drop? Are you still enjoying an active sex life? Sally Mueller, co-founder of Womaness, said on "The View" on 8/2/24 that "women are looking at pleasure in a new way...they just want someone to talk to." If that's the case, you've come to the right place!


MONTH 10: "Bitch Session"

This is your chance to get persnickety and do a little hen-pecking. What pisses you off about life these days? Husband? Grandkids? The price of rent, gas or groceries? Give us your pet peeves - no holds barred!

Our grandparents saw massive changes, like the advent of the horseless carriage and the telephone. But even during our half to three-quarters of a century, we have lived through a technological revolution, and for some of us, it's hard to keep up! Go ahead and let off some steam! Somebody's gotta say it. We're probably all thinking it.


MONTH 11: "Share Your Scars - Whether Visible or Invisible"

No one knows what you've gone through, and Lord knows we don't want to sound like some gaggle of old ladies complaining about our latest ailment or surgery. But sometimes life happens and we find ourselves in a predicament we never expected. Remember that it's not about what happened, it's how we reacted and the resiliency we showed that counts. That's what growth is all about. Do you know that brain scientists are urging little girls to play sports - and fail! It builds muscles you can't get any other way.

All I ask is that you "come from your scar - not your wound." Don't go into all the gory details. Let us know what happened, how you came through it, and what lessons you learned from it.


MONTH 12: "Tell Us Something People Don't Know About You"

We've come through this whole year together, but maybe there's still one thing you haven't shared. And maybe it's something completely out of character or just a skill you've got, like being able to skip stones all across a pond. Surprise us. It can be anything you feel like sharing.

You can keep it light if you wish, but if you have developed enough trust and intimacy in this Circle, then maybe there's something you've never told anyone, that you'd like to share with the rest of the flock. It can be very liberating. Maybe there's something you've been afraid of sharing, until now, because of fear of being judged? It takes a lot of energy to hold in secrets, and you will most likely be pleasantly surprised by how generously it is received.

Check in with your Inner Self to make sure you are ready to share. If you start getting queasy or uneasy feelings in your body as your turn comes, don't let that deter you. Be brave. It takes courage, but I guarantee you will be rewarded as you take a big sigh or relief after you've gotten it off your chest. It's how you develop intimacy in your life - when you are willing to let go and let "In-to-me-see."