The day before Thanksgiving last year, the new Executive Director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, Denise Smith, came for a visit. After talking for two hours, we wondered how we had not met before. We imagined convening Vermont women nonprofit executive directors in a way that would help them support each other in the challenging, changing culture in the country.
A year later, the need felt greater than we had feared. Then magic happened. The Windham Foundation offered VCRD their Grafton Inn free of charge December 2-3. The Wisdom Connection and I co-sponsored Kerry Secrest of Watershed Coaching to facilitate “Leading Together: A Retreat for Vermont’s Women Nonprofit Executive Directors: Connection, Renewal, Shared Leadership.” Despite the holidays, Giving Tuesday, and a snowy nor’easter, eighteen extraordinary women made it to Grafton. Thanks to Denise, I was able to join them.
We represented conservation, business and professional associations, food security, the arts, a utility cooperative, education, housing, public policy, philanthropy, and leadership, economic, and community development—not counting the nonprofit boards we serve on. We sat in a circle.
Kerry asked me to be her poetry muse and help her hold space as an elder. I had a good elder partner in Ellen Lovell, Vice-Chair of the Windham Foundation. We hadn’t seen each other for decades. Kerry gave me a poem to read as an opening: “Everyone Is Welcome Here” by James Crews. I took a deep breath. James was the poet at WholeHeart’s Culmination Celebration in June. WholeHeart’s final fund balance went to VCRD. Full circle.
We quickly connected as a community of trust. We cried together. We laughed together. By the end of the retreat, we were laughing so hard, we cried. There were lots of hugs. We left with action plans, individually and as small groups. We will reconvene on Zoom at the end of January to keep our momentum going.
Frederick Buechner said that grace shows up at the intersection of our gifts and the needs of the world. Grace was in our circle in Grafton. I noticed that many in the circle were inspired as children to be servant leaders. I smiled when I returned to my cozy cottage and saw the books I ordered for my great nieces and nephews for Christmas—with the good guidance of the Galaxy Gals at the Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, Vermont.
Together, United by Tami Charles, illustrated by Bryan Collier
The Littlest Solstice Tree by Lisa Varchol Perron, illustrated by Ahya Kim.
Jan Brett’s The Nutcracker
Tyger by S.F. Said, illustrated by Dave McKean
In his book, The Idea of America, Darren Walker says that democracy requires radical hope. As I ponder the gifts of the Grafton retreat in this sacred season, I hold radical hope for peace and democracy if we lead together.