This morning, on my way to work from my Cursillo small group meeting, there was a wonderful story about a woman who has sold her house, given up her job as an accountant and is moving to Paris to pursue her life as a professional belly-dancer. That was wonderful in and of itself, but the crown jewel was when she talked about how when she dances, when she moves and lives in the the dance it’s a way of communing with the Divine. How glorious and image!

It seems that my 3 different small groups (all women of course) have been a part of my salvation. My focus is generally fairly masculine: I work with priests in my second job; I am a programmer, webmaster, computer geek by profession (and choice) – I love working with men, even though they often frustrate me to no end and sometimes seem so clueless. My sisters have given me a chance to come to terms with my feminine, female side. That’s not so easy at times. It seems that I have absorbed some of the cultural bias of women as second class – or womanhood as something to overcome instread of something to embrace. My sisters don’t always see eye to eye – with me or each other, but we share fearlessly at times and we are not afraid to hug each other and say “I love you!”

Br. David Stendl-Rast (gratefulness.org) has a book, Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer that opened a door for me by suggesting that one go to the place where you felt like you belonged – a time or event, and start from there. I’m finding those places more these days on this journey to myself.

Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer – I recommend it, but you will find that if you aren’t ready, it will be impossible, and when you are ready, you can’t put it down!

Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer