This workshop came to me over many decades. As a child, I accompanied my mother when she went into people’s homes to help them in times of significant life events.
My mother immigrated to the US from Scandinavia, where it is cold and dark for many months. During the dark months, people banded together to celebrate good fortune and handle challenges. These people are hardy, strong and resourceful. And committed to helping others.
My mom never fit in to the fast pace of life the US. She liked to sit and drink coffee with friends at 4 pm every day, as she did back home. Her accent, which I thought was beautiful and musical, identified her as a foreigner, and she interpreted that as being an outcast.