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In our last Stories of Our Lives session, we turned our attention to the idea of groups – the ones we’re part of, the ones we’ve left, and the ones that have shaped us along the way. The conversation was a little shorter than usual because it was also our annual feedback session, but it was still a really rich and thoughtful exchange.
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Moments of joy were easy to recall as we went round the room: an unexpected smile from a passer-by, a memory of climbing a mountain, comfort from stroking your cat, settling down with a good novel, a warming cup of tea, the sound of a cheering football crowd, signs of Spring in the park, cuddling a toddler finally succumbing to sleep… It was a topic some had previously discussed (see Small Joys, November 2022 ) and a joy to share some pieces written then with more recent members of the group.
In a follow-on meeting, Chris Hogben led a relaxed and enjoyable sewing workshop, helping us to capture our thoughts about small joys as we chatted, stitched and unwound. In the blog post which follows, some of us share the results in images, others have also written reflections. Enjoy!
As we gathered for our end-of-2024 session, we shared a wonderful time connecting with one another and reflecting on the year that has passed. It was a session filled with honesty, contemplation, and the beauty of sharing. Together, we distilled the year into key words and phrases that encapsulated our collective experiences: friends, the beauty of ordinary gentleness, challenge, chaos and disorder, annus horribilis, and perseverance. These words painted a picture of the struggles and triumphs that shaped our journeys over the last 12 months.
Looking forward, we explored the themes we hope will guide us into 2025. Words like acceptance (while seeking ways to move forward), clarity, spaciousness, facing fears, resolves, hoping for improvement, cleansing, and decluttering resonated deeply. By the end of the session, we were left feeling connected, happy, hopeful, and relaxed, with a greater sense of purpose.
Here are our writings about the year that has gone and our hopes for the future…
Continue reading “End of Year Reflections”
The Stories of Our Lives 