Here in these quiet wee hours, I wanted to reach out to share more about the upcoming Book of Love class.

Over the next few newsletters, I’ll be sharing stories of former students who generously offered their kind permission to share their experience with you. It’s my hope that their stories will help you better understand if this class is the right fit for you.

And whether or not you join us for the class, I hope that their stories deepen your trust in the many ways that help, love and support surround us.

Nina’s story – moving from ‘shut down’ to ‘cherishing herself’

I’m honored to introduce you to Nina and her story.

How do we care for ourselves when life upends, and we find ourselves shattered, moving through streams of grief, loss, or turmoil? That was Nina’s experience when she began creating her ‘Book of Love:’

“When I started the class I was completely shut down and in tremendous pain. I was still reeling from my divorce and the dismantling of my life and family as a result of that divorce. I was struggling to move forward in a positive way.

I was lacking self-love and self-forgiveness.

The experience of examining life, purpose, and love was the beginning of a beautiful journey for me. It was my springboard to a positive outlook and ability to cherish myself. I’m not going to say I got there overnight, because I didn’t.

But this class turned me in the right direction, took off my blindfold, and whispered words of encouragement in my ear as it pushed me off on my journey of self-love.

I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me, and I could see a whole new and different world in front of me. I stuck my head out of my dark cave because I was tired of being there, and this class showed me where to go next.

Two years later I’m still on that journey, but much closer to the finish line than ever before…

My Book of Love… is one of my most cherished possessions. ”

A place to witness our story

When we experience rupture and pain, it can be so hard to feel compassionate towards ourselves – it’s easy to blame or to turn on ourselves. As I take in Nina’s story, I’m moved by her self compassion.

And as I take in her words, my eyes travel to my bookshelf behind me, where my own book of love rests. (You can read about how I made my own book in this post here.)

Like Nina’s book, my book is an intentional place where I’ve cared for grief and loss and deepened self forgiveness, a witness to honor the width and breadth of my life.

This is the gift of soul work, or a soul friend, no matter what form it takes – whether it’s creating a book, writing poetry, painting, or sharing our stories around a hearth with friends.

It’s my hope that we all may have places where the painful, the hopeful, the difficult, and the celebratory are all held in warmth and understanding.