“WOMEN WILL NOT THRIVE IF THE COST OF OUR BELONGING IS OUR SILENCE” ~ Jen Hatmaker
“MY dream would be if it felt like we’re all sittin’ around the kitchen table.”
If you ever come to my house and sit around my table, just know that there will be more food laid out than anybody has any business eating, there will be adult beverages for those who imbibe, and other means of hydration for those who do not, and there will be hours and hours of conversation punctuated frequently by cursing, snort laughs, various forms of hijinks—and maybe even some tears.
All my favorite songs play in the background.
Taboo subjects are be broached.
Dogs fart indiscriminately.
Truths are told, maybe for the first time ever.
There are twinkle lights and candles.
Bullshit written on paper will get thrown into the fire.
Someone will quote poetry, another will sing a song they wrote, and dancing has been known to break out, mostly around the fun moon.
Chocolate becomes its own closing ceremony.
And time will cease to exist.
That’s the feeling I wanted for Croneology, the program for women over 50 that Geraldine and I cooked up this year of our Lord of Perpetual Isolation—and she could not have been more enthusiastic.
“Women are dying for REAL connection!” she said, only without the exclamation point because she’s Canadian and they aren’t prone to such outbursts. But I am.
And THAT is why we compliment each other so beautifully. Reverently irreverent, we tackle ALL the subjects:
Transitions. Career, relationship, bikini to one piece, blonde to gray, all of them.
Empty nests (grieve, celebrate, or both).
Adult kids who leave and come back (celebrate, grieve, or move).
Aging parents.
Eldership (What does that even mean?)
Our changing bodies (To HRT—OR—to not to HRT)
Sex after 50. (So much to discuss, SO MUCH!)
Knowing your worth, using your voice, living your largeness.
Don’t feel like a Crone yet? There are other names for women on their way to Crone. Is Autumn Queen a better fit? (Yeah, I figured)
What to do with unexpressed rage.
Menopause is not the end of your life as a woman AKA How to hot flash your way to an orgasm. Swear to god, one of our Crones does this!
And SO many other topics you’ve been dying to chew on with super cool women your age — and didn’t know where to find them.
Shameless Endorsement Alert:
“Picture a round table of women desiring to ripen into their full expression to the point of falling from the vine and becoming seeds for the next generation…such is the energy during Croneology.” — Joanie
Well, as you can imagine, when I read this I died. We both did. Here it was, our dream come true and written with all the best words in a way I could have never imagined. Needless to say, I could not, in a gazillion years, explain Croneology any better so I’m going to stop right here. If you want more details, dates for the next session, and answers to all your questions about me and Geraldine, head to Croneology.net
Just one more thing. If you’re a dude and you’ve made it this far, WOW and congratulations! AND, you may want to share this with the women in your life. To quote a previous Crone’s husband, “Whatever you’re doing Thursday nights in the Crone group, keep doing that.”
Need I say more?
Carry on,
xox
