As I sat around the table, coming late to the conversation, I was met with smile after smile. The afterglow of a night spent laughing and crying, singing and dancing, was evident in everyone’s eyes. Greeted with love and curiosity, everyone asked me to share my feelings and thoughts about a wonderful gathering which kept us all asking for more. We are a small group, we get together every so often, but we know that when we do, magic happens. We allow ourselves to feel safe, we create opportunities for interesting conversations and we have no choice but to be vulnerable.

We take turns to listen to one person at a time as they share their experience, feelings and realizations. We ask with curiosity and respect pertinent questions that push us a bit more to go deeper. We hold loving space if someone needs to be held. And we give ourselves with an open heart. There is no question that our ego sometimes gets in the way and we are not ready to hear or feel what is being said, most of the time because it hits us as a difficult truth to accept. But, knowing that everyone around us will have a moment of doubt and anger, fear and judgment, of humanity overall, gives us the comfort to be seen and heard. We are able to unclothe our souls and exist, even for a very short time, without veils.

I realize this is an immeasurable gift – friendship – redefined. A true offering of love to our higher selves. It happens effortlessly among us but with a commitment to show up in our dignity and truth. It didn’t start off like this but it evolved, making it even more beautiful and treasurable because it was earned. I believe in the law of attraction, and when we allow ourselves to define what our truth is, we automatically attract like-minded and mostly like-hearted people who then become our people, our family and we never want to let go. We have then found our people.