Owning It

Hi Friends!

In our ongoing Girl Group series, we gathered together to talk about the idea of “owning it,” or standing up for your beliefs. We read Mary Oliver’s poem, “Watering Stones” in which she describes watching stones drink water. It’s her belief that the stones don’t “lie in the water and do nothing,” and she stands by that belief, even when her friends refuse to believe it. The poet is pleased, in the end, to see other friends “holding a few stones, and they look at them rather more closely now.”

The habit of looking closely is at the root of much of what we do in Girl Group. This compassionate curiosity can lead to greater connection and understanding.

THINK: What do you “own.” How can you put this into words?

TALK: Gather with family or friends to share core beliefs. In a family, it can be helpful to set rules and expectations around a shared set of beliefs.

WRITE: Take five minutes and write down one thing you “own.” Why is this true? Look closely.

DO: Create a mantra for assertiveness. We like the phrases, “I do know,” and “I will find out.”

BE: Look closely at the world. Find beauty in unlikely places: the drugstore, the gas station, the checkout line at the market.

Fondly,

Wes & Tanya