WOVEN 2018

It has been a week since we came home from our first couples retreat – WOVEN – and I still don’t know if I have the proper words to express the impact it had on not only MY marriage, but of all of the couples that experienced it alongside us.

I was, admittedly, nervous as the weekend approached – having never done this type of a retreat before I wasn’t sure it would be as impactful as our mom retreats have been. The bar was set high – and I didn’t know if we’d come close to reaching it at this retreat. 

BUT – it wasn’t too far into the weekend that I realized that it was working – it was happening – couples were sharing – and not just with each other, but with everyone. Dads who had barely spoken their childs name were not only saying their name, but sharing their story. Moms who hid some of their deepest feelings from their spouse were digging in deep and finally letting it out. 

Couples were learning to understand their spouse through their grief – learning to appreciate and accept that often men and women grieve very differently – and that its ok – it might even be beautiful. 

With that appreciation and understanding came discussions on how to grieve TOGETHER – how to meet half way – how to weave their grief into their marriage, not treat them as separate parts of their relationship but rather as one in the same. 

I’d like to think this retreat strengthened these couples not just for the time we spent together, but that it did for them what it did for Rob and I and has forever changed the way we will grieve our son as a couple. The tools Rob and I gained from this time together are irreplaceable. 

I am so grateful to so many for loving on our couples with their talents, gifts and support. Their generosity made this weekend stunningly beautiful - as well as kept us very well fed. I am so grateful for our co-hosts Matt and Stephanie for taking the leap and making this happen – all in honor of their sweet Madison. I am grateful to the 7 other couples who jumped in head first and allowed this weekend to do for them what it was intended to. Most of all I am grateful to my husband for being so vulnerable – so compassionate – so empathetic – so invested – in these couples and mostly the dads. I am truly in awe and am beyond blessed to have him by my side through not only this retreat but moreso through life – for better or worse.

We can't wait to experience this again with more couples - and once again witnessing what these retreats do for those grieving just makes my passion for a retreat home of our own burn that much stronger....