Fall Equinox: Holding Close and Unfolding

“All the buried seeds crack open in the dark the instant they surrender to a process they can’t see.” (Mark Nepo)

Using the metaphor of the bulb, we will reflect on the blossoming and flourishing each GC sister felt during the spring and summer. We will explore what we want to protect and hold close in our lives, blending the beauty of the summer with autumn’s hidden regenerative process.

• What changes, lessons, creations, friendships or other gifts did you receive this year? Which of these do you want to protect and hold near, allowing autumn’s cooler days to nurture them through the transformative shifting of the seasons?
• Imagine the restoration of your heart (bulb) as it enters a period of rest and recovery. As we trim away summer’s leaves, we are provided with the perfect nutrients to create entirely new offshoots! What offshoots, or “daughter bulbs” do you envision creating during this process of holding close and unfolding?

Please join us!

Your Hosts

Terra (Karen) Shimada

I bring to my GC sisters a life-long passion for learning and seeking meaning in relationships, service, and my love of nature. Academically trained in gerontology and public health, my professional career was grounded in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years. After retiring, I was honored to be with my mother through her journey to the end of her life and am now passionately engaged in advocating for North Portland residents of all ages and abilities to have equitable access to a clean and vibrant Willamette River (Waterside Renewal Foundation). My decade+ living in Nepal grounded my spiritual search and love for the mountains. I currently live on the Columbia River on Sauvie Island. My daughter Marina lives in PDX and my son Takumi lives in Hong Kong. I am still and will always be a nomad at heart.

Marybeth Lybrand

I am a college counselor, mentor, and writing teacher to high school students, as well as a therapeutic horticulturalist. I am committed to healing and growth through nature, and work to provide my students with access to the grounding aspects of the natural world as they find their unique life paths and voices. I find both energy and restoration in orchards and vegetable gardens, and love sharing the beauty and nourishment of their gifts with others. I have a daughter working on her MFA in photography in Boston and share my home with my two sassy cats and a very old dog.

Photo credits: Terra Shimada, Marybeth Lybrand, Autumn leaves photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash