Gathering Wisdom This month as we seek to gather knowledge and wisdom, may I suggest we examine the power of gathering with others? Such a gathering was our Big Ocean Women Retreat last month. The synergy created by combining women with diverse ideas, knowledge, and talents enriched each participant. In addition to the roughly forty…
In an ancient Hindu fable, six blind men encounter an elephant for the first time. Each man touches a different part of the elephant’s body with vastly different conclusions. The version of this story in poetic form was a beloved children’s picture book I remember fondly. As I contemplated our tenet this month on seeking…
Few would argue that the traditional family–birth or adoptive–is without parallel in providing nurture, guidance, and support to the rising generation. As a child of divorced parents, I salute my mom who provided these essentials to me despite running our family business and rearing six children. Not every child is part of such a family,…
If you’re always the first to see the dirt, perhaps you ought to clean your glasses. – Abigail Van Buren. This quote on a newspaper clipping from the popular Dear Abby column was one my mom had saved. It resonated with me. Since we’re talking about making choices this month, may I suggest we work…
Father. That name holds great power and emotion, especially regarding the man who is our biological father. The definition deepens as we expand it to include father figures—men who nurture, protect, and guide us in the manner of a father. Other rich meanings include our ancestors or forefathers, originators or inventors such as the father…
Anything I Can Do, We Can Do Better Remember Annie Get Your Gun? Sharpshooter Annie Oakley has a confusing relationship with her love interest and rival, Frank Butler. She loved him but refused to play second fiddle to him when it came to hitting the bullseye. She was a woman in a man’s venue, and…
Ann Takasaki, executive board member of Big Ocean Women, shared her passion and vision for our work in an interview on Spanish Fork City Television last month. Among the life-changing efforts of our organization are virtual and face-to-face cottage meetings of like-minded women, seeking generative solutions to poverty and abuse, educating women and girls on…
I love the 80’s movie, Short Circuit, wherein military robot Number 5 literally takes on a life of his own when lightning strikes him. He voraciously seeks “input,” hungering for knowledge and wisdom to explore and understand the full meaning of life. When he accidentally crushes a grasshopper, he vows to never again be a…
Big Ocean Women promote a life culture. We have an opportunity and duty to not only embrace life, but to do all in our power to preserve it. I’ve discovered a satisfying way to do just that. In recent years, I’ve been drawn to know more about my ancestors—not just facts and dates and records,…
Shukria Mahmsoria came from Afghanistan about a year ago with her husband and children – Kabir, 13; Ramziea, 9; and Reza, 7. They are expecting another child in April. They chose to come to Utah because they felt it was “a good place with good people.” They remembered a woman who helped them when they…