DandeLion Grove

400 women from the four directions coalesced on Yavapai/Apache land near Montezuma Well in Arizona, answering the call put out by the The International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers . It was a call for healing and prayers for our waters and for the next 7 generations. There is something special about women coming together...something intensely sacred. We are strong, we are opinionated, we are meek, we are mild, some of us are broken and beaten down, and we can be as cruel as we are kind. We can stand on different sides of an issue with ferocity, but when a woman cries out for help, a sister steps up. There is an unspoken bond of womanhood of which I know no match; a compassion that rises unhindered when the cry is heard.  To stand in this circle of women who agreed to come, pray, and listen to the wisdom of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers moved me. To realize that we not only showed up for a weekend of learning and work, we committed to a lifetime of it. By showing

Rivers, rain, sweat, blood, and tears, Cycling, recycling, for thousands of years. Filling a need for all that is living, Water's sweet nourishment never stops giving . Water provides the gift of life , for no living thing on this planet can survive without it. And yet, we go through most of our days without even a single thought about it, as water enters our homes through pipes and gushes forth for our every need as we open our faucets. Let us remember this gift, and l et us rejoice and celebrate it.  Let us be more respectful of this limited resource we cannot live without.  Let us make amends for what we have done to this vital element and begin the healing work. Each one of us can make a difference.  Saturday is World Water Day , an opportunity to show gratitude for our life-giving waters, and a chance to start anew. Let us begin the work of repairing the damage we have done, for we are slowly destroying ourselves and everything on this p

Always Never Only Would. Don't Won't Can't Should. Making claims, Judgment falls. Limitations Bind us all. Proud Exclusive Chosen Elect. Loser Bitch Lazy Disrespect. Compare, contrast Mete out worth Based on looks Or place of birth. Fear feeds beliefs That serve to divide "My way is better...  Choose the right side." A wise woman, Rev. Nancy Dean, once said, "Speak the truth with love." That phrase resonated with me at the time and I have carried that as a mantra with me ever since. I believe it's important to speak our truth. I believe it's even more important to do so with love. Speaking our truth with love means we choose to stand in what we believe is right and true. It means we have the right to share our thoughts, facts, and opinions with kindness, and the responsibility to inform rather than prove someone else wrong. The intent