I’m turning 60 in November. Yikes! I find myself filled with a mixture of dread, excitement and deep contemplation.
I’m already preparing for the celebrations with The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker as my definitive guide. (This book has turned my thinking upside down on why we gather and how to do it well.)
The birthday gatherings (there’ll be three in all) won’t be left to chance with a couple of canapés and cocktails over a few uninspiring speeches.
Each gathering will have a specific purpose as I aim to make them memorable and even transformational for my family and friends.
These celebrations are my gift to the most important people in my life, a way to thank them for their support and love, especially for those times when I’ve been at my worst.
They’re also an opportunity to offer a gentle provocation. It’s a chance to be vulnerable and share the obstacles I’ve overcome and the legacy I wish to create while encouraging guests to ponder their own contribution to the world (without being preachy).
When I think about it, my 60th birthday is a milestone I’ve been preparing for over the last two years.
So much has happened since that last traumatic 77-day lockdown in Melbourne in late 2021. It’s been like one gigantic yet gentle turning point brought to life by a series of meaningful projects.
Each project has been underpinned by my renewed purpose to write the stories that move us to remake our world—for women and Mother Earth.
The projects include Brave Women Write (a book to help you find your voice and free your inner writer), Love Stories of the Birrarung (a storytelling and community engagement project to inspire Victorians to love our Yarra river) and Between Two Hills (a chronicle of our tree-change and novice farming journey).
If you want to read more specifically on the above projects, please subscribe separately for regular stories.
In addition to these projects, I’m now offering a range of writing and teaching services. Do send me an email if you’re keen to explore how I can help you.
In the meantime, if you’re reaching a life milestone (a significant birthday, kids leaving home, a move to the country, the end of a relationship, a new vocation), why not consider marking the occasion with a purposeful gathering?
With love
📕 Brave Women Write Book Orders
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Also now available as an eBook.
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⭕️ Brave Women Writers’ Circle Now Open
Are you a woman who yearns to share your story with the world? Do you often find yourself suppressing your inner voice and waiting for that perfect day to start writing? Or perhaps you’ve begun writing and are feeling stuck? If so, the Brave Women Writers’ Circleis the right place for you.
As an experienced author, writer and educator, the Brave Women Writers’ Circle will be led and facilitated by Carolyn Tate. With only 12 places available, the 12-week program is designed to guide you in bringing your writing project to life while connecting you to a courageous community of other women writers.
