My first dose of spirituality was Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School, and as a word person, the impact that name had on me as a child pummeled my imagination. Statues of Virgin Mary
embraced me down every dusty hallway. I never really connected with God, The Father, but to have a woman lead my spiritual practice made me feel represented, seen, so I walked those
hallways with strong legs. I swung my arms, not afraid to take up space. And when I cried, I connected to Mary’s sorrows. Decades later, Virgin Mary is still the prominent spiritual figure in
my life. The Divine Feminine is something that I’ve worked hard to express within myself, and that means loving all parts of me. I have this inner strength that knows I deserve to be
cherished. Those early images of the Virgin Mary imprinted on me that being a woman is powerful and divine, sorrows and all.
