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The morning of Wednesday, April 22 started in a most remarkable manner. Something planned and something that was not planned, perhaps the essence of improvising, or entrapuenurship, or inspiration, or thinking on your feet. . Or perhaps simply an occasion to honor one of our core values: “The Earth does not belong to us we belong to the Earth” by Chief Seattle. The important piece is that there was an action taken and by virtue of that simple fact, an Earth Day remembrance was held at Gleaves Consulting, the first of its kind. I arrived at the office a little earlier than usual and began the setup for the 10 a.m. women’s group the first of what I envison to be many such opportunities for women to gather what they need to grow and thrive. I was at the office early to complete a necessary business task. The woman who came, is a woman I considered one of the powerhouses of our practice. Managing a family, and all the attendant responsibilities that go along with life in 2015. She came in like the gathering of an ocean wave, full of movement and I could feel the cresting of morning energy. Women in their mid thirties are such magnificent creatures! She quickly rattled off the mornings activities thus far, and I almost hesitated to ask her if she had some time for one more thing. When she said sure, I played a track from one of the most beautiful CD’s I have music from a time that was a personal milestone . As the last note faded, I asked her if she would like to read the poem titled Healing the Whole” by. In the quiet, of the room I lovingly call the Sanctuary, lit only by a brass lamp with a unique story of its own and one torchiere she began to read:

Let us be united
Let us speak in harmony,
Let our minds apprehend alike
Common be our prayer,
Common be the end of our assembly
Common be our resolution,
Common be our deliberations.
Alike be our feelings
Unified be our hearts
Common be our intentions
Perfect be our unity

Her voice was clear. She spoke with a volume that was quiet and had a cadence to her words that was slower than before . but the sound was distinctive and unique unto itself as all of our voices interesting and inherently have . Each line spoken seemed to be absorbed into the ambience of the room .When she finished we each had a moment of silent reflection. I thanked her for being the midwife to the start of a new tradition

Gratitude for the human beings that come through our doors and recognition of the interdependent nature of the work we do.

Draft: Do not cite without expressed permission of author.

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