Why We Share

We share, because we are one. These are the words I heard as I awoke one morning. I had recently returned from a gathering of twenty women who came together to share their dreams, visions, and prayers, for the earth.

The Native American women offered ceremonies each day, in the morning, afternoon and evening. We sat in a circle and spoke from our hearts. Visions were shared. Dreams about the earth and love, were spoken aloud by women from different spiritual lineages.

On the first morning, a beautiful 82-year-old woman told about her life. She is a Native American woman from Canada. Her words came from such a deep place that belonged to the present but also came with an ancient knowledge.

She said that she left her home to come to the gathering. Relatives would take care of it while she was gone. There is always extra food at her house, because you never know when someone is going to visit. There are always extra chairs for visitors.

Such is the generosity with which she lives.

She then spoke about the young people. For there were young women at the circle, as well as women in mid-life. She said we need to help the young people. Support them so that they can do their work. The young people are so important now.

There was a deep respect in her voice. Unlike the way I have heard other people speak of the young. It felt as if she were honoring the divine in the young people. A light that was needed for the future. As she spoke, I saw one young woman with tears streaming down her face.

It was then, that this grandmother told a story.

When she was young, the elders told her to draw her life on a sheet of paper. She drew a road of trauma. It was surrounded by fire. The fire engulfed everything.

The elders then told her to draw a picture of herself. And to put the fire into her heart. “They showed us that we needed to share, in order to heal.”

There was a deep sense of unity sitting in this circle. No one higher, no one lower.

We share because we are one.

We share not because of individual expression, but because it is how we give to life.  It's not necessarily even in words, but sharing through feeling, from our heart. Through an extra chair for unexpected visitors. 

Several Native American women spoke of the need to live as spiritual warriors. What this means for a woman, is to be connected to our body, to the earth, with our prayers and the strength to live this love in the world. This we experienced as we sat in a circle, while the birds outside seemed to respond with piercing cries. 

A circle is a community. It is open, linking to women in community everywhere. I share this story about the elder, to link us too.

On the way to the airport, I fell asleep and saw an image of a deep blue teepee, open on one side. It was elongated, stretching upwards to the heavens, connecting to the earth. This container holds community, wherever we are.