Mother’s Day is right around the corner—so says Hallmark, the florists, and the restuarants that serve brunch. For years it has been a day for me to ignore, like most holidays, while treating myself well; a hike in nature, or a day to read a good book. This year, I am going to a Mother’s Day retreat in Lake Tahoe specifically for estranged mothers and grandmothers. The retreat sold out in ten days, with 7,000 mothers on the waitlist.
Dr. Joshua Coleman, author of When Parents Hurt, has a Substack with 73,000 followers which I find sad and alarming. I had a couple of phone sessions with him back in 2018. Now I would not be able to afford him. But we have communicated through email (when I am fact checking on an essay) and he is very kind.
Rachel Haack, LMFT is a voice of compassion and awareness on social media and Substack. I look forward to meeting her.
We will be greeted with gift bags and a light lunch. Headlining therapists open the retreat with candid and heartfelt insights on the profound impact of estrangement on families and personal well-being.
- Dr. Joshua Coleman: The Cultural Shift of Estrangement – How changing societal norms shape family estrangement and its emotional toll.
- Rachel Haack, LMFT: The Traumatic Nature of Rupture – Understand the mind-body impact of attachment breaks and betrayal trauma.
- Sasha Ayad, LPC: Ambiguous Loss and the Experience of Estrangement – Explore ambiguous loss and how parents can learn to live with unresolved grief while finding strength, perspective, and personal meaning.
- RaQuel Hopkins, LPC: When Love Feels Rejected – Learn to process rejection while building resilience and emotional clarity.
The weekend schedule is thoughtful with presentations, time to connect with others, alone time for journaling and finally a Mother’s Day brunch. I’ve never spent time in Lake Tahoe and look forward to being there. I fly out a day after the retreat so will have some time to explore a bit.
For today, I’m doing a writing workshop, Small Helpings: A Food and Memoir Workshop, via Zoom, with Abigail Thomas and Darien Gee. I’m a long time fan o Abigail Thomas and kinda want to be her when I grow up! There is a scene in her memoir, A Three Dog Life, she and her three dogs are all sleeping in the same bed. It that sounds so comforting to me. A comfort that goes back to my childhood, as I write about inThe Warmth of Dogs. I’ve done other workshops with Darien. She is an excellent teacher especially with writing micro prose.
An essay of mine was published today in Newsweek My Turn, about estrangement and how it is contributing to the loneliness epidemic in the U.S. You can read it here:
The Last Conversation I Had With My Daughter.
P.S. I moving into a retirement community! The end of an era, after living in a historic hotel, owned by an 87 year old man. He lives in the hotel and is full of character but not into maintenance. I have grown to love his quirkness and wil stay in his life, helping him out with some things. More on that next time.
Thank you for reading, Frances
Fscottwrites 