Leisha and Virginia sat sipping coffee after Yoga class. She'd been surprised by how good her body felt. She'd never been entirely comfortable with her body, had never completely trusted it. As the session had concluded, the instructor had gently placed blankets over the participants' bodies, and soft rice filled pillows over their eyes. She'd felt relaxed and nurtured as she listened to the soft music and the instructor's soothing voice. She felt her warm and loosened body sink into the mat, as she'd let out a deep and contented sigh.

"I've never felt quite so relaxed before." Virginia shared with Leisha.

"It's great isn't it? I've become addicted to it. One of my kinder addictions."

"I can understand why. It feels so good."

"And it's drug free!" added Leisha with an impish smile.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to go again."

"Great. How about Friday."

"Friday?" Virginia asked, not sure that she wanted to make a commitment. She'd meant some day, not just two days from now.

"Why not Friday? The class meets twice a week. How about if you plan on coming with me regularly?"

Virginia hedged. Leisha pursued. Finally, she found herself agreeing. She was amazed at how often these days she was agreeing to things she wasn't entirely sure of.

"I'm so glad your starting to wade in. It's time I think."

"Your mother's always telling me it's time," Virginia mused.

"Let's leave mom out of this. I'm talking about what I see."

"What do you see?" Virginia was afraid to ask but couldn't help herself.

"I see someone who's been hiding from life for too long. I think that inside of the person I see in front of me, there's a Goddess just screaming to get out."

Virginia felt teary. God, she couldn't believe these tears of hers. Every time she turned around they were seeping out of her. How was it possible that she'd found these people? People who seemed to really care about her, accept her, and who asked her to come out of hiding so lovingly. What created people like these folks? Was it in the drinking water? No, couldn't be. She'd been exposed to the same small mindedness here as she had in every other place she'd been to. Still it amazed her, how she'd been drawn into some protective circle, surrounded by love and caring, and she wasn't certain anymore that she could break out, or that she wanted to. No she didn't want to. She wanted to stay inside.

"I can't imagine myself as a Goddess. Can't imagine any Goddess actually except for the naked woman I saw once in a Greek mythology book. Believe me, she wasn't anything like me!"

"Oh yes, she was. Let's see. What Goddess most resembles you," Leisha studied Virginia, making her feel silly and embarrassed.

"I'll guess that you may be a daughter of Persephone"

"Who?"

"Persephone. She's the queen of the underworld. Let's see… She was a carefree child who was kidnapped by Hades and forced to be his unwilling bride. She was miserable in the underworld and was finally rescued, but because she'd eaten some kind of seeds she wasn't supposed to, she had to return to Hades for one third of every year. Anyway, Persephone is pretty much considered to be representative of the young girl who doesn't know who she is or what her real strengths are. She wants to be a good girl, please others and live safely."

"It's not a very flattering description. I'm trying very hard here not to be offended," Virginia responded honestly.

"Oh, sorry. I don't want to offend you. I'm probably just trying to impress you more than I'm offering you any real food for thought. I guess what makes me think of Persephone when I think of you, is that she has such potential for growth and such vitality. She's just gotten battered along the way and needs to rediscover some of what she's lost."

Virginia sat quietly, taking in what Leisha had shared. Amazing, how deeply both Leisha and her mother saw into her. It frightened her, repelled her, and yet comforted and compelled her at the same time.

"I know you're not thrilled when I compare you to your mother, but I can't help being struck by how similar you are. Especially the fascination with stories you both seem to share."

"How could I not be fascinated with stories. I was raised on them. Almost every experience called for a story at one time or another when I was growing up. Story nights didn't just happen once a week, they happened all of the time. Each night when I was tucked into bed, when I hurt myself or did something wrong, it seemed like my mother always had a story. I never left them behind, I'm glad actually that I didn't. But I did manage to seek out my own stories, very different stories than hers. All of our lives are made up of stories I've decided. The question is, what stories are we going to tell ourselves, which will we hold onto and which will we leave behind."

Virginia couldn't answer her. She didn't know. But she was starting to wonder…

(The end of Chapter one)

next: Sage Woman Dreams of Going Home