Girl Group | Tool Box Training | Wk 4

Greetings!

Last Friday, we closed out our “Tool Box Training” Series. We opened with the James Wright poem “A Blessing,” which recounts the poet’s encounter with two ponies in the twilight. The experience is filled with sensory detail and the last line never ceases to amaze: “Suddenly I realize/That if I stepped out of my body I would break/Into blossom.”

We talked about the peace we can find in the world when we engage with all of our senses. We talked about what it might feel like to “break into blossom.”

We continued our exploration of the senses as we blended our own tea. We encouraged the girls to smell a variety of herbs before beginning to mix. We wondered what memories, feelings or thoughts did the scent conjure?

“My mom.” “A garden.” “Toothpaste.” “Something abstract but also my mother.”

As is our ongoing tradition, we opened the Pickle Jar and the mentors and guides answered anonymous questions and engaged the girls in a wide-ranging conversation that covered our favorite colors (rust, mint green, that purplish pink that is almost blue,) as well as “Why do my parents yell at me?” and “What do I do when I can’t make a decision.” The answers to the question, “What do I do when I’m feeling sad,” ranged from “get a tissue,” to “fall asleep and maybe wake up feeling better.”

In Girl Group, we talk a lot about the impermanence of our emotions. We don’t aim for “happy,” because “happy” is only a fraction of how we feel throughout the day. Instead, we aim for flexibility and the understanding that while we can’t control our thoughts, we can take charge of our actions.

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All our best, Tanya and Wesley

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