Why the offering of an Olive Branch?

I was drawn to the olive branch as part of my logo and website because of the grace over my life. I’ve been hurt deeply. In different stages of life, I have held grudges for decades (with and without knowing). I could not let go of what I was carrying in my body. The pain hurt so bad. I didn’t understand what to do with the pain given to me. Sometimes I would offer forgiveness, believing that’s what I was giving, only to find that I hadn’t named well what had happened. How can you forgive something that wasn’t named? Clarity needs to happen in the naming before we can move to let it go. It makes sense to me now that my body was holding on to the more.

I have hurt others deeply. I have found myself in precarious situations, looking around at the landscape of my life and heart not believing what I had created. This is not who I am. Where am I? How did I get here? There was a certain naivety around the ways I moved and danced to be standing where I was. But there I was. I needed to see my face. I needed to understand my story, what I believed to be true about me, how I had been hurt, and how I had hurt others intentionally and unintentionally. Ugh! This has been a painful journey to admit what has been buried and hidden inside my heart.

And yet, I am so grateful for all that I have learned as I sit at the table and welcome all of me home. There are moments of dread and hopelessness. There are moments of loneliness and deep pain. There is also beautiful joy as I learn to show up every day and dance. Dance in the unique way I am made to move and BE in the world.

I have learned and am learning to offer forgiveness to my own heart. I get to parent the younger parts of me I have exiled and hated. I have invited them to have a place at the table. Come and join me here. The journey is slow. Much slower than I would choose.

And yet, I choose to stay.

I choose not to look away in the face of darkness.

I want to offer the goodness that I have received from God and from my tribe. The greatest gift I have received is the gift of being seen and delighted in.

I am holding out hope for you.

I believe in you.

I trust your voice.

I am holding out an olive branch to you.

Let’s wander in the maze of your life as we invite all of you back to the table.