Bridges take us from one side of something to another. The bridge I think of most often is a swing bridge that sways over the Imnaha River in Eastern Oregon. It appears fragile, as if it were held together by wire in mid-air. And it moves the minute you step foot on it. It dances and jumps while the river below ripples by in the autumn, or roars in the spring. The trick is to establish a rhythm. But even that has to be reset when you reach the middle. If you find a new rhythm for the other half of the bridge, before you know it, you’re across.

Life transitions are like that, too. That is why I’ve developed workshops and retreats designed to address the special call of crossing from one side of life to another. My workshops and retreats use poetry, narrative, talk and song as tools for processing these crossings. Both writers and non-writers are equally welcome. No experience as a writer is necessary to participate fully.

In the beginning, all we can see is the bridge and how rickety it looks. Guided prompts, sharing and reflective time alone help us find our own unique rhythm as we step onto the dancing bridge of a life transition.

By the middle, we’re in process. The view is both exhilarating and daunting, so we move into stillness, allowing the bridge to calm down. Then we begin again, into the unknown, finding yet another new rhythm until we reach the other side.

At the end we will leave with vessels of language that hold our insights snug as we go out into the world, fortified for whatever journey lies ahead.

Available Workshops/Retreats

Schedule currently being updated.