There is unique medicine that comes from men with men. I’ve known and experienced this over the last 15 years in particular. It’s men in story together. It’s men in loss and grief together. It’s men in laughter and joy together.
This was true again last night in my experience with the 11 of us that gathered for the most simple of formats. Taking turns picking up the talking piece (while the rest of us listen) to say the hello wished to be said, and then to pick an important point of personal living / learning to share into the center of the group. It was a round of offerings. Then it was a round of weaving, connecting some of the feelings, the questions, the unknowns, and the ahas. No resolutions needed. Just presence.
Men have unique medicine for men. I know this to be true in my experience of both receiving and offering. I know this to be true in my experience of showing up to be present.
Of course, what I share is true at broader levels of scale. Human beings have unique medicine for other human beings, in ways that weave across any narrowed construct of gender and identity. I find particular appreciation, perhaps from many years of clunky starving, that have me loving the unique company. Both in evening gatherings (Zoom, that meets every two weeks), and in longer retreat spaces (in person, over 3-4 days.
I’ll call on poetry and prose again, as I have each day this week in posting. From Yung Pueblo’s book, Clarity & Connection (thank Chris Smyth for gifting me a copy) — I saw and heard this expressed as a deep desire among men last night.
Clarity & Connection (p 42)
sometimes you need to move slowly
so you can then move powerfully
the modern world is so fast paced
that you feel the pressure to keep up
setting aside what everyone else is
doing and moving at your natural speed
will help you make better decisions
and lift up your inner peace.
