In the spring of 2007 the Florida W & R District hosted an inspiring conference called Healing and Changing Our World. Younger women from the UU of Clearwater Florida were so stimulated by the power of our W & R circle they were aroused to action. A few of these women took the helm and offered to help plan the next retreat. One of these women was Jenn Davis.
Many of us were involved with Jenn in planning our last retreat in the fall, 2007. The theme was about working toward both personal and global Peace. During this retreat Jennifer Davis and Andrea Pisanello offered to co-chair the district.
In reflection the memories of the peace rituals and healing space we created have become even more sacred after the events of Dec., 14th. On that day the Florida district lost both our co-chairs Jenn and Andrea to domestic violence. Jenn’s two children aged 2 and 4 were killed as well.
While trying to find a focus for my grief and a way to bring order out of madness a thought came to me that perhaps I could find hope and a sense of purpose by working with women nationwide to “weave” together all our expressions about domestic violence and our need to continue working on female empowerment issues. The result would be a large art piece; one that could travel and hang in congregations nationwide. Personally I very much needed to process the deaths of our friends and the children and for me that needed to come in some creative form.
The call was put forth and about 50 people responded in Florida and beyond. Women from W & R circles in Rhode Island, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Florida and California sent fabric pieces that were placed into the final project in Clearwater.
I would like to thank all those who organized the circles, gathered the materials, sent cards, words of love and encouragement and made sure to send the finished pieces in time for them to be placed on the final collage. Special thanks to Dotti Doyle, Karen Frank, Savanna Pendergraft, and Diana Fraser for helping finish the final piece on a very long rainy Sunday afternoon. Blessed Be!
