Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series,
romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.
In 1994 I attended a William Glasser Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
There I met colleagues from the Balkans. The Balkan War was raging and their once
peaceful lives were in chaos. When asked what The William Glasser Institute
could do, they said they needed support.
Funds were donated and used to purchase diapers and formula and
other necessities like soap and shampoo that were in short supply.
A group of us went a step further and organized a small
conference on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in Rijeka, Croatia. We paid our
own way and raised additional monies to put on the conference for those who
could come. In addition we volunteered to lead workshops and provide whatever
counseling services were needed. Our group was received by the Mayor of Rijeka, one of our members was interviewed on a national radio program. A highlight was the evening the government minister for prisoners of war and torture victims
spoke to us.
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| Shield of Life |
I had a chance conversation with a professor at the local
University. He invited me to speak to one of his classes. I also led a group
discussion with a small group of women who’d braved Serbian fire as they drove
from their homes in Dubrovnik (that had been bombed that morning) up the
Dalmatian Coast to the conference. What an honor that was!
When Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia, was bombed (we were about
50 miles away), I went to breakfast and found colleagues I’d had dinner with were
missing. No one talked about where they were. They’d just vanished—called back
to the war.
That morning we were also ordered to leave the country. That was
difficult but knowing that our being there actually put them at more risk than
if we left. We were an easy target and to kill ten US, Canadian, Irish citizens
along with Croatians who were leaders in their country was tempting.
The Mayor sent his van and driver to take us across the border
into Slovenia and on to Bled. Traveling through border check points where the
guards were armed was an event I’ll never forget. We were in Bled for a couple
of days waiting until our flights back home left.
Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight with military tanks
on the runway, armed soldiers carrying automatic rifles patrolling the
concourse—I’d never had any of those experiences.
When I reached my home I was compelled to do something more.
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| Shield of Life with added feathers |
Because of that trip I’m very aware of how quickly deep and
abiding relationships can form in times of trial. I still hold in my heart many
of the people I met over two decades ago. I still feel an instant connection
when I see any of them at conferences. One of my favorite experiences was at
the Edinburgh, Scotland conference when most of the women I’d met in Croatia were
there. Tears of joy, of gratitude on both sides—they’d rebuilt those lives that
had been so traumatically disrupted.
This is my Circle or Shield of Life. While the flowers are silk, everything else is natural (well, actually the silk flowers are made from the spinning of silk worms). Feathers do not always survive and so I've added two feathers before taking this picture. The black feather in the upper right quadrant is one I picked up in Scotland in 2008. What's magical is that when I got home, there was the exact same feather by my driveway. In fact this might even be that feather instead of the one from Scotland!
What life altering event have you undergone?
How has it changed who you are?
What have you done to honor that experience and that transformation?
You can learn more
about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.
Follow me on Twitter:
@JudithAshley19
© 2016 Judith Ashley
These shields are to me like another person’s lucky
penny, four leaf clover or rabbit’s foot. I also have a small bag of protection
stones in my car. One never knows when a bit of protective energy might come in
handy.
You can learn more
about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.
