Mama Renew

Stop and reflect for a moment.

If you look through your family photos, how many images include you?

Even more telling, are there any photos just of you?

Not you breastfeeding, not you with a toddler swinging off your hip in a sling, not you on a family hike, not you pushing a swing.  Just you.  On your own.

Imagine.

If you have been wise enough to include such photos in the family collection, we applaud you.  We’re guessing, however, that you’re a lot like the rest of us and maybe only have a few, and of these maybe only one that you actually like.  Or maybe even none at all.

In a recent Mama Renew group my dear friend Nancy, photographer extraordinaire, gifted each woman participating with a photo session.  Just for us.  No kids allowed.  No partner.  Just mama.

What a beautiful gift.  And a perfect way to strike absolute terror into my heart. Just of me?  I tried to bargain, asking to include the kids.  At the root was my fear – what if I didn’t like what I saw?

Soon after my 40th birthday Nancy reintroduced me to myself through her lens. She came with not only her camera, but the desire to capture my way of being in the world.  Her images will serve as a testimony to my unique beauty, and who I am as woman today.

Thank you, Nancy!

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Our Mama Renew challenge to all of you?  Find a Nancy.

She may be a professional photographer, or a dear friend.

Let yourself be seen through someone else’s eye –

and may you find beauty in your own reflection.

In our lifetimes we are, every once in a while, presented with the opportunity to take a great leap.  Whether the leap should be a source of great excitement, or fear, it is sure to open the way for growth.

We at Mama Renew took such a leap this month by attending Renewal Partners’ Social Venture Institute, a 5 day gathering of mission-based entrepreneurs and non-profit managers from around North America.

Truth be told, this was a hard leap to resist.  Hosted at Hollyhock by on Cortes Island, BC, the Social Venture Institute included some pretty phenomenal benefits, including an ocean view hot tub, gourmet food fresh from the gardens, an oyster buffet by the beach, dancing and daily yoga.  A hard to resist business conference – and a welcome retreat amidst our busy life as mothers and business owners.

As one of the smallest companies invited, we were initially hesitant regarding the applicability to Mama Renew.  It is only in the past one or two years that we have truly grown into the role of being a business owner, and truth be told, we finally got around to writing the business plan as part of the application process!  What we found was a warm, supportive gathering of entrepreneurs, gathering to share ideas and build community.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of SVI was the invitation to be honest about our dreams And our challenges.  Much like in a Mama Renew group, the learning is always richer when we speak our truth. So much in business (and in motherhood) goes unspoken, as we try to present ourselves in a positive light.  We were reminded, again, of the importance of sharing in the whole of our reality, and the learning that comes from being vulnerable.

We are returning home from our “leap” at SVI with a long list of ideas and inspirations, and a community of business and nonprofit visionaries with whom we share in the journey.  Feeling thankful, nourished, and wide open to the possibilities.

p.s., if the description of Hollyhock sounded enticing, you can join Mama Renew there for a retreat in May 2010!

Contact us to learn more…

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Are you a mother and business owner? What helps you grow?

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We are delighted to share with you a taste of our Mama Renew retreat.  Sixteen women gathered at Rolling Earth Retreat Centre for just over 30 hours, during which time we kayaked, ate scrumptious organic food fresh from the garden, laughed a lot, danced, cried some, painted, explored, slept, did yoga, soaked in the hot tub, gazed at the stars, and truly surrendered to what the weekend had to offer.  And then we returned home, renewed & inspired and with a new dose of clarity on our lives as women and mothers.

It’s hard to believe how much renewal can happen within such a short time period.  The kayaking experience was especially exhilarating and challenging, allowing each of us to draw on inner resources and navigate our own path through the waves.  We could go on and on about how magical it was, but instead will share with you the words of Melanie who wrote about the experience in her blog:

Retreated, Renewed Returned

Sixteen women, all of us mothers, all of us wishing to explore aspects of our lives; not just as mothers, but as people with our own lives, thoughts, feelings, desires, goals, pasts, interests, challenges…

I left there with many new friends…I left with a bit more peace than I arrived with. I left tired and a little heart-drained, but with more energy than I had before. Long before I was home, I wanted Cameron’s arms around my neck, I wanted to see his whole face smile, I wanted to tell him I love him.

Read more of Melanie’s beautiful blog post here.

Many thanks to Joah and Brett of Rolling Earth for their gracious welcome and care.  As Melanie raved in her blog, “Did I mention that we ate fabulous food? Food with flowers in it? I swear I’ll never serve cheese again without flowers.”

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Wish you could have been there?

Join the Mama Renew Retreat next spring at Hollyhock on Cortes Island!

Contact us to learn more…