I woke up on Valentine’s Day morning with a river of love and happiness streaming through me. It’s not a mere romance that has filled me up today. Rather, I had the unbridled pleasure of spending a perfect spring Saturday in the company of eleven remarkably authentic wild women. We came together on a Wild Woman adventure to awaken our true natures, to build a sisterhood, and to deeply entangle ourselves in the great web of life.

And, I could not have imagined a more splendid spring day – the earth was damp and soft, the breeze was cool and gentle, the sun was shining softly, and the birds were busy staking out their territories for the upcoming mating season

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During lunch, under the canopy of a stunning valley oak tree, in a bed of chickweed, miner’s lettuce and hound’s tongue we shared our wild hearts. The conversation was vulnerable, and the simple act of witnessing and being seen by my new sisters made me feel safe enough to open like the blossoms beginning to burst forth all around us.

Not only did I feel held in that sweet circle of women, but I also felt cradled within the magnificent circle of life surrounding me. The twisting roots, velvety new leaves, flowing water, rich brown soil, and fluttering butterflies infused me with an intense sense of belonging. I felt vibrantly alive, awake in all my senses, and falling deeply in love.

What I want to say is that this joy, this contentment, this intimacy is our natural state. We are designed to experience life in this way. It is our birthright and it really doesn’t take much to awaken and sustain it. Simply slowing down and turning our attention to what is already here – present in the fiber of every living being – allows us to remember that love is not something we have to search for. Love is, fundamentally, what we are.

Collette Streight