The Coming Home Project

I just returned from a five day retreat with the Coming Home Project held at the Angela Center north of Santa Rosa, CA. See www.cominghomeproject.net for more details. Retreats are held at different locations around the country - currently, Washington, D.C., San Antonio, San Diego, and Santa Rosa.

This was my first post retirement volunteer stint. I look time to find the right fit - where I could lend support to an organization that was personally meaningful. This one seemed a good fit in my internet/telecon communications. As always, there are no chance meetings and this was a heart opening event for all people involved.

Why am I telling you about this? Perhaps you want to donate money to Coming Home Project. They survive entirely on grants and donations and they provide such caring support to post 911 vets and their families - children, parents, and siblings. Or perhaps you are a veteran of this era and could benefit from new tools and ways of thinking/seeing the universe. Or perhaps you wish to donate your time and energy - either as a trained medical professional or in logistics support.

I attended this retreat in the capacity of logistics support. My days started with qigong classes, followed by meditation, followed by 8 a.m. breakfast, then a full day of logistics events. Qigong, meditation, meals, evening meeting and social events are available to both participants, providers and the logistics team in a shared venue. The daily groups are conducted primarily by psychotherapists, veterans and interfaith leaders. The logistics team does not participate in these breakout meetings. The transformations that occur for participants are clearly visible and are life affirming and heart opening for everyone in attendance. The love and caring are palpable and are a reminder of how life can be lived consciously, intentionally and in community.

In my 20's I spend several years in a Zen macrobiotic house and decades more studying various religions/languages and cultures. In many ways this retreat felt like my own coming home - after three decades in a job that did not reflect my personal values - it feels exactly right to once again connect to the spirit, to my center, to formalize daily practice, to express fully my artist self in both textiles and other art media, and to strive to be fully open to this life. It was my great privilege to serve our veterans and their families and I am deeply grateful to The Coming Home Project.