I need a word to describe the group of people I want to thank today. If you have one, please share it with me!
What keeps coming to mind is “cotillion” because I’m seeing all the women and men who have been dancing with me and my idea of Forgiveness Walks in this sort of flowing, artistic, festive movement of creative formation. This is not quite an expression of Southern society, however.
Seth Godin’s coining of the word, “tribe” comes close. “A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea.” That works, except that there’s a hardened, rough-edged quality that word suggests to me that doesn’t quite capture the soft, vibrantly colored warmth that I feel when I bring these people to mind.
These people are supporters. They are clients. They are colleagues. They are co-creators. They are guides, participants, customers. Is the word “my community”? Are you getting the idea I’m seeking here?
Let me just starting naming them, and perhaps their group moniker with reveal itself.
There’s Sara, Carol, Evelyn, Maureen, Aimee, Margaret, and Maria Maria, and many others, who have accepted my guidance through their journeys of the heart, telling their stories, opening to the power of their feelings, and stepping through to another view of their relationships with themselves and others.
There’s Barbara, who has nourished me with her songs and shared them with Forgiveness Walks.
There’s Leslie and Marie who help me build things and take care of practical stuff, with heart and understanding.
There’s Mary Canane, and Celeste, and Deb, and Shari who seem like soul sisters, coming together for magical retreats that get to the foundation of things, like the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or something.
And there’s Larry and Scott who assure me that I have a perspective to offer men too!
And there are all the participants in mastermind groups who give and receive creative energy as we all bring our messages to the world, trying them out in the safe incubators of our circles: Ava, Roxanne, Alicia, Kayoko, Carolyn, Judi, Lynda, Paula, and others whose names escape me right now. I am so grateful to have these groups of similarly striving entrepreneurs to support, nudge, and walk together with me.
And there’s Parjit, who hashed out ups and downs, ideas and struggles about what we might do when we were brave enough to actually step into our dreams. I’m grateful to know her too.
Have you come up with my word yet? Whatever it is, whatever is the unifying factor of all of you people who have recently come into my life in response to my playing around with the message of walking and forgiving, I thank you!