We didn't need
Not because we’re opposed to celebration, but because that kind of celebration didn’t feel like what we needed before stepping into marriage. We actually like each other a lot, and wanted to spend time looking forward to the next chapter rather than mourn the last lol.
So instead, we planned what we called a spiritual retreat.
Originally we were hoping to get everyone in one place for a few days in nature with plant medicine, but with everything going on we settled for what we could manage.
Throughout December we took little day trips into nature as friends and talked about the big questions, our values and how we can support each other going forward.
a bachelor's or bachelorette's party.
But the most important part happened at night.
During our sleepover we really talked. We opened up about life, about what it means to commit not just to each other, but to the journey of holding different roles.
"We're the adults now" What did that mean to us?
We talked about being on the right side of history. About how every generation seems to inherit impossible problems and is asked to solve them anyway. And we reminded ourselves that maybe the most important thing isn’t fixing everything, but it’s making sure that our kids, one day, are also sitting in a circle with people they love, asking how to do things better together.
Life comes in cycles. Time folds on itself.
We asked: How can we make sure more people end up in the circle? Holding hands and doing the best they can, together.
That weekend changed me.
It was one of the best weekends of my life. I felt deeply connected with my friends and with a collective purpose to show up authentically and share that blessing with as many people as I can.
Heroes are not born, they are made.
And if we do not see ourselves as agentic, powerful players of the game, our lives will happen to us, rather than from us.
I'm grateful to have friends that inspire me to show up in love and in magic, every single day.
Our first little outings leading up were mostly around town. We found time for cards, crafts and to get escovitch in Gordon Town.
One of our favourite places to bring friends is "Pretty Close 876". They make a great lunch and provide access to a little hike and a waterfall to cool down. The restaurant itself is on the river.
Then for our official 'retreat' night we rented an Airbnb in Richmond and took the day to explore Konoko falls, a botanical garden and waterfall. We climbed the falls together, helping each other up, slipping, rolling, laughing along the way. We are all spiritual people so we found our corners and moments of quiet to convene with nature independently, too. We moved our bodies, breathed fresh air, and reminded ourselves that we’re part of something older and larger than any single moment.
