“I was a late bloomer. But anyone who blooms at all, ever, is very lucky.... Many lives don't allow that, the good fortune of being able to work at it, and try, and keep trying.” - Poet Sharon Olds
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Although I intended for ALTAR to launch in March of 2020, the world had other plans. As I mentioned in our newsletter earlier this week, I often find myself thinking ALTAR is "late" in her unfolding because we are just beginning in a sense, three years in.
It has gotten me thinking about being a late bloomer... and also realizing that perhaps there is no such thing as being "late." This spring, I’m interested in exploring how we can foster a richer, more curious conversation about women’s value throughout their lives.
In service of that conversation, we’ll be featuring examples of women doing inspiring things with unexpected timing and other resources that question the prevailing cultural narrative around when and how we flourish.
So, in Volume 8, I offer some food for thought to get us thinking and re-thinking about the rightness of who, what, and how we are unfurling. I hope it resonates, and I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Wildflowers by Dolly Parton
When a flower grows wild It can always survive Wildflowers don't care where they grow
It’s amazing how a song can make such deep sense in a few words and chords. This particular one puts Dolly Parton in harmony with her fellow powerhouse songstresses Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
It captures the yearning for freedom that spring can inspire. It also reminds us of two, somewhat contradictory, truths: that we are hardy and can flourish right where we’re planted... and that if we don’t like where we find ourselves, we are empowered to seek more fertile soil.
Later Bloomer by Debra Eve
If you’ve ever felt weary of seeing youth on a pedestal, you’ll find good company on the blog of Debra Eve, who started collecting the stories of “later bloomers” after realizing she craved a later-in-life alternative to 30-under-30 lists. Her blog features writers, explorers, artists, and many others who found or deepened their calling further down the road of life, from their thirties all the way to their nineties and beyond.
We’ll be sharing some of Debra’s Later Bloomer profiles throughout the season, so stay tuned.
NPR Interview with Doree Shafrir, author of Thanks for Waiting: The Joy (& Weirdness) of Being a Late Bloomer
Author Doree Shafrir is only in her mid-40s now, but — as far as she was told earlier in her life — that was already too late(!) to do most things of value as a woman. In this brief interview with Ailsa Chang on All Things Considered, she discusses her book on the pressure to “catch up” with some predetermined timeline, rethinking our assumptions about what women should do (and when), and the joys and discomforts of trusting your own timing.
You can find Doree’s book here.
Listening to a guided meditation on renewal this week, I was prompted to imagine a stream of warm water flowing over my body washing away any energetic clutter or debris, so that something new could arise. This SoulCollage card, made many years ago, floated immediately into my mind. I called it Cleansed and what it says is, I Am One Who... releases burden and expectation so I can fully bloom.
I invite you to meditate on this image and get curious about what in your life might be calling for release to make room for what’s next...
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