There is change afoot. It is time to celebrate and time to reflect. We are preparing to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of becoming “a center for intentional living”… the birth of Storm Wisdom. So, it is easy to focus on how different it feels now, than when we first opened our doors or any of the annual celebrations we have hosted since. It is a magical time for us… yet there is also a bit of melancholy too.
You see, when I was inspired to create Storm Wisdom, I was woefully unconnected with the spiritual community in the Phoenix area. I had been doing a lot of my own spiritual growth work through seminars and retreats offered by “Lucid Living”. However, most of these were held in California, Mexico or Canada. (BTW… Lucid Living has an all new membership website, offering their amazing teachings and materials at www.LucidLiving.net). Which meant I had a strong community of support. Just not here in Phoenix.
However, as I would tell people about my dream of what I wanted to create, they would tell me about places in the valley, where they thought someone was doing something similar. “Angel’s Serenity”, “Lightworker’s Gifts”, “Rainbows from Heaven”, and “A Peace of the Universe”, were all places that people pointed me towards.
The first time I went to “A Peace of the Universe”. They were closed! It was a Monday. As I stood outside the door of this well-hidden space, I thought to myself… “I don’t know how long they have been open, but they will NEVER survive in this location! I had driven around the parking lot several times and saw nothing that said their name. I had to get out of the car to find a directory, with small print, that pointed me up a flight of stairs and then across an open courtyard to a small sign. I knew in my mind (key word here… mind), they were doomed!
That is until I returned a few days later and met Judith for the first time. When I walked in, a smiling bundle of warmth and humility, came towards me with an all-knowing welcome and a hug. Not the kind of reception you get when you walk through the doors of most businesses. Even the places that actually hire people to greet and make you feel welcome, could not compete with this reception! In that moment… I thought (key word) I was unique! I thought this angelic woman had seen through my exterior and personality, and had connected to my soul.., it was if she could see the essence of who I was. (Or she had mistaken me for someone she “really” knew!).
Of course, now I know that this is how Judith affects most people who walk through her door! And, I learned on that visit that “A Peace of the Universe” had been around for 17+ years. The majority of that time, in its current location! (So much for my estimations of success!)
On that fateful day, just over 4 years ago, I shared my vision for Storm Wisdom with the cherub Judith. Her immediate reaction was one of support, encouragement, and collaboration. We were aligned in the vision that these were businesses that supported each other… And there was never any energies of competition, scarcity or lack. We vowed to support one another and stay connected. And we have.
The one thing that Judith made clear to me at the time was she would help in any way she could… EXCEPT… She could not give me business advice! She will tell you, she has never run “A Peace of the Universe” as a business. For her, it has been Divinely and Heart guided and inspired. So if I wanted to talk POS, inventory, P&L, profit margins, or accounting… She was willing to listen.., but wasn’t going to have a lot to contribute. And that’s okay with me, because sometimes…the only thing that matters is knowing that you are loved!
This coming Saturday, when we celebrate our 4th Anniversary… People will also be gathering at “A Peace of the Universe” to celebrate and wish Judith the best of luck, as she makes her beloved Payson her full time home. She turns the keys to “A Peace of the Universe” over to Julie, the new steward/guardian. Specifically,at 2pm people will gather in the courtyard to form a circle of love for Judith. I hope there are so many people there, that one circle is not enough… And instead there are concentric circles surrounding her… So that on this amazing day of celebration, Judith feels as loved by all of us, as she has made each of us feel. That she feels as seen and known by this community, as she makes each one of us feel whenever she shares one of her amazing hugs!
I love you Judith and will miss knowing you are only five minutes away from me physically. AND, I will hold you in my heart as if you are!