It seems like an age since the last Moms Away (May 2014). Now that we are just two weeks away, the time seems to be mysteriously speeding up. I have so much to do that it's a bit overwhelming. Many other moms keep offering to help; I want to take you up on your offers, but as I am woefully behind in my planning, I don't even know what to delegate! Ah well, I have the long weekend camping to figure out my lists. (I do love my lists!)
I am slightly amazed every year at how well the different women blend together. We have different combinations of friends, acquaintances, and strangers each year. But, by the end, new connections will have been made, tears and laughs will have been shared, and tiny snapshots of memories will have been tucked away amongst us as a collective and as individuals.
It is next to impossible to predict exactly how each year's event will transpire. I used to worry that people wouldn't be happy, that they wouldn't get along, or that there wouldn't be enough to do. With four years' experience under my belt (or rather, under my stretchy pants), I am more relaxed about the "what" or the "how" and I can focus more on the "who." And, slowly, I focus a bit more on myself at each year's retreat as well.
Some years, I am at a great spot in my life as a mother, and I am able to support others who may be in crisis, on the edge of a meltdown, or just recovering from something no-one could have predicted. Other years, I am the one making sure the tissue box is close at hand; I seek out advice, support, or a glass of wine from another wise woman.
Community is a rich, powerful thing. As we start packing (maybe the night before) and as I finally start my endless lists, I celebrate most of all that we 18 women will soon be shedding our "mom" super-capes to come together in community. We will arrive tired, excited, nervous, or content; we will share what needs to be shared and guard what needs to be guarded for one another; we will hurt for another's pain, dance with abandon if the mood takes us, or walk in the beauty of the mountains; some will nap; others will lie awake. It's all good.
See you in two weeks. Travel safely.
Teresa
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Happy New Year!
Moms Away 2015 is sold out; however, if you are willing to bring a mattress & sleeping bag, I can a way to fit you in. I would hate for anyone to be turned away who needs this weekend of rejuvenation and replenishment.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Words from a mama
I just received a cheque for Moms Away 2015 from a returning mom. She first attended this past spring (May 2014) and has already booked her spot (have you?).
Along with her registration was this note that warmed my heart so much that I wanted to share it with you: Here is a small quote: Honestly, I have never felt so open to share and be understood. Those few days filled my tank for a long time.
There are still rooms available - come and fill up your own tank.
Along with her registration was this note that warmed my heart so much that I wanted to share it with you: Here is a small quote: Honestly, I have never felt so open to share and be understood. Those few days filled my tank for a long time.
There are still rooms available - come and fill up your own tank.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Looking back and forward
Just a few years ago, I was hoping - dreaming, really - that I could go to an adoptive moms' retreat being held in Florida. There was one space left, which tempted me with its sense of fate. However, with a dose of reality, I realized that it would be a huge amount of time and money for me to travel that far just to get some support. I had already been blessed with the support of a number of regular attendees at our monthly coffee group, where we adoptive and pre-adoptive parents compared notes, supported one another, and grieved or celebrated depending on the circumstance.
Looking around at these people who had become so vital, so deeply necessary to me, I realized that I didn't need to travel across the country. I just needed to continue to build the community already in evidence.
So, with some trepidation, I built our first Moms Away. It was more than I could have ever hoped for. It was a weekend, beyond even any other since, that healed the broken pieces of my heart. It was that weekend together that I realized the strength in community and in sharing one's journey with another whose own journey has a similar trajectory.
I had been similarly gifted with other women in my life at just the moments I seem to need them, whether or not I knew that I did. Women who arrived with their wisdom or joy or shared sorrow; women who felt on a cellular level the same things I did. This isn't to say that there weren't men in my life who were important; it is just to say that these women - these soul sisters, really - were themselves a gift in my life.
Since that first Moms Away, I have organized and run three other weekends. Each has been important to me. Part of this is that occasionally I get to glimpse another woman get just exactly the support she needs. Those moments when I see small groups or pairs talking quietly together or a larger group laughing uproariously on the deck - those moments are like starbursts. These are moments that are little flashes of light that keep a bit of the dark at bay.
And, if I'm really lucky, I get to carry those feelings from one year to the next. I always question whether or not I really want to do all the work to organize and run yet another weekend. And, just as certain as the fact that I question it, is the fact that someone will remind me that somewhere there is a mom who needs us as much as I did that first year. And, so, on we go.
If you are reading this, if someone sent you this post or you found it late one night while looking for some support, perhaps you are that person who needs Moms Away 2015. To find out about registration, click on this post or contact Teresa at tmkisil at gmail dot com.
Until then, remember this...
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher
Looking around at these people who had become so vital, so deeply necessary to me, I realized that I didn't need to travel across the country. I just needed to continue to build the community already in evidence.
So, with some trepidation, I built our first Moms Away. It was more than I could have ever hoped for. It was a weekend, beyond even any other since, that healed the broken pieces of my heart. It was that weekend together that I realized the strength in community and in sharing one's journey with another whose own journey has a similar trajectory.
I had been similarly gifted with other women in my life at just the moments I seem to need them, whether or not I knew that I did. Women who arrived with their wisdom or joy or shared sorrow; women who felt on a cellular level the same things I did. This isn't to say that there weren't men in my life who were important; it is just to say that these women - these soul sisters, really - were themselves a gift in my life.
Since that first Moms Away, I have organized and run three other weekends. Each has been important to me. Part of this is that occasionally I get to glimpse another woman get just exactly the support she needs. Those moments when I see small groups or pairs talking quietly together or a larger group laughing uproariously on the deck - those moments are like starbursts. These are moments that are little flashes of light that keep a bit of the dark at bay.
And, if I'm really lucky, I get to carry those feelings from one year to the next. I always question whether or not I really want to do all the work to organize and run yet another weekend. And, just as certain as the fact that I question it, is the fact that someone will remind me that somewhere there is a mom who needs us as much as I did that first year. And, so, on we go.
If you are reading this, if someone sent you this post or you found it late one night while looking for some support, perhaps you are that person who needs Moms Away 2015. To find out about registration, click on this post or contact Teresa at tmkisil at gmail dot com.
Until then, remember this...
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher
Moms Away 2015 Registration Details
If you are interested in registering for Moms Away 2015, you need to know some details.
WHEN: Friday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31, 2015
WHERE: Silver Star Ski Resort (private house rented for the weekend)
HOW MUCH:
WHEN: Friday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31, 2015
WHERE: Silver Star Ski Resort (private house rented for the weekend)
HOW MUCH:
- Food: $50/person (see info below)
- Insurance: $20/person
- Board: from $120 for bunk beds to $300 for master bedrooms with ensuites
WHAT'S INCLUDED :
- Friday - dinner & snacks
- Saturday - breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks
- Sunday - brunch & snacks
* I am able to accommodate all dietary restrictions and requirements WITH prior notice.
MORE DETAILS ABOUT AVAILABLE ROOMS (all prices are for the weekend, not per night):
Queen Master bedroom with ensuite (upstairs) - $300Queen Master bedroom with ensuite (upstairs) - $300Queen bedroom with ensuite (upstairs) - $240 (tentatively reserved)Double bedroom with shared bathroom (upstairs) - $200Bunk bed (upstairs)Bottom single bunk - $130Top single bunk - $130- Bunk room #1 (downstairs)
Bottom single bunk - $120Top single bunk - $120Single bed - $120Fold-out bed - $120- Bunk room #2 (downstairs)
Bottom single bunk - $120Top single bunk - $120Bottom single bunk - $120Top single bunk - $120Queen bedroom with ensuite (downstairs) - $250
If you are interested in registering, you have two options. The first is to contact me directly and arrange for an email transfer or cheque. The second option will allow you to pay by credit card, but will cost you about $20 in service charges from the online registration site. (I will set that up for individuals on a case by case basis.)
TO HOLD YOUR SPOT:
- Contact me by email as soon as possible and put down a $50 non-refundable deposit. Fifty percent of the total amount is due by March 1, with the balance due by April 30.
EMAIL: tmkisil at gmail dot com
ADVANCE WORK PARTY - We are able to have a few people go up on Thursday night. Basically, the owner gives us a reduced rate with the understanding that we will have no more than five people there to work and get ready for the retreat. Contact me to see if there is still space for this "pay-to-volunteer" opportunity.
ADVANCE WORK PARTY - We are able to have a few people go up on Thursday night. Basically, the owner gives us a reduced rate with the understanding that we will have no more than five people there to work and get ready for the retreat. Contact me to see if there is still space for this "pay-to-volunteer" opportunity.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Almost here
There are broken pieces within all of us, yet each of us is also made up of moments of sublime perfection. I believe this to be true of my children, and I believe it to be true of the mothers who come together each year for Moms Away. The women who choose to carve out a weekend for themselves once a year come for their own reasons.
Some of these mothers come year after year to see old friends, to relax by the hot tub, or to walk in silence with nature. Others come once only; they may or may not get just what they need, but at the very least, they join a community. Sometimes it is enough just to know that one is not alone, that someone "out there" will get it.
There are moments that are too perfect in their simplicity to even be expressed. I hold these moments to myself like melting snowflakes, gentle in their landing on my heart even after their melting. I look back and think of the uproarious laughter our first year; the echo of that hilarity props me up on my saddest days. I recall with an aching heart the sorrow and isolation expressed by a mom another year.
When I least expect it - and when I need it most - I will recall one of these moments. And, with that flash of memory, I remember that I am not alone. You are not alone. Together, we prop one another up so that we can do the work we need to do for our children.
I can hardly wait to gather this year's moments and rest them on my heart. See you all in two short days.
Teresa
Some of these mothers come year after year to see old friends, to relax by the hot tub, or to walk in silence with nature. Others come once only; they may or may not get just what they need, but at the very least, they join a community. Sometimes it is enough just to know that one is not alone, that someone "out there" will get it.
There are moments that are too perfect in their simplicity to even be expressed. I hold these moments to myself like melting snowflakes, gentle in their landing on my heart even after their melting. I look back and think of the uproarious laughter our first year; the echo of that hilarity props me up on my saddest days. I recall with an aching heart the sorrow and isolation expressed by a mom another year.
When I least expect it - and when I need it most - I will recall one of these moments. And, with that flash of memory, I remember that I am not alone. You are not alone. Together, we prop one another up so that we can do the work we need to do for our children.
I can hardly wait to gather this year's moments and rest them on my heart. See you all in two short days.
Teresa
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Just two more months
Moms Away 2014 is just 65 days away. It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since our last retreat. Much has happened in my own life since we were last together, and I'm certain that is the case for many of the other moms as well.
Each year around this time, I start to think about what this year's MA will be like. This will be our fourth retreat, and every time, it is different for me. There are some years that I am the supporter; other years that I need the support. Some years I laugh more than I cry; the opposite is also true.
The women who find their way to this retreat often change as well. There are a few of us who have been every year; sometimes, once is enough.
Having said all that, there are some aspects of Moms Away that just don't change, regardless of the food served, the weather outside, the list of attendees, or the optional activities on tap. Each year, someone who needs a bit of support just to make through to the next month, finds it. And, each year, someone who was feeling all alone in her adoption journey will find out that there are others walking a similar path.
- And, every year, at some point, there will be tears, there will be laughter, and there will be comfort.
You are not alone. Join us and find your own reasons for being a mom away. You will return to your family with new ideas, new energy, perhaps a new commitment to this path.
Each year around this time, I start to think about what this year's MA will be like. This will be our fourth retreat, and every time, it is different for me. There are some years that I am the supporter; other years that I need the support. Some years I laugh more than I cry; the opposite is also true.
The women who find their way to this retreat often change as well. There are a few of us who have been every year; sometimes, once is enough.
Having said all that, there are some aspects of Moms Away that just don't change, regardless of the food served, the weather outside, the list of attendees, or the optional activities on tap. Each year, someone who needs a bit of support just to make through to the next month, finds it. And, each year, someone who was feeling all alone in her adoption journey will find out that there are others walking a similar path.
- And, every year, at some point, there will be tears, there will be laughter, and there will be comfort.
You are not alone. Join us and find your own reasons for being a mom away. You will return to your family with new ideas, new energy, perhaps a new commitment to this path.
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