Why use the salutation Love, ME?  Is it a question?  Am I an egomaniac, starving for attention, craving for credit?  Or do I need more love in my life?  Well…wait a minute…I could always use more love in my life…but…that’s not it.  While I deeply enjoy receiving love, and am not sure if there is ever ‘too much’ love in one’s life….my salutation is not a request for love or a question of whether or not you love me.  There are actually some very symbolic reasons to this salutation.  Please read on and see if you are surprised.

I am blessed.  I have been surrounded by fierce, independent, strong, compassionate, intelligent, spiritual women my whole life.  I am also blessed to be the eldest child of six.  Due to the size of my family, and the inherent inability for my parents to provide all of us children with endless individual attention, I am also blessed to have not craved to be in the spotlight at all times.  These characteristics attributed to my developing into young adulthood, living much like a sponge.  Soaking up all that was around me, living life in a perpetual state of studious student…and loving it…most of it.

Transitioning from studious student, to teacher/leader/adult, felt more like the tortuous transformation a butterfly endures, rather than a natural progression of developmental events.  A student can be inspired/inspirational, supported/supportive, helped/helpful, and utimately…safe!  A teacher/leader/adult needs to be seen AND heard.  Not only professionally, where there are ethics, boundaries and clear expectations; but within all aspects of daily living where roles become more ambiguous, dynamic, grey, undefined.  There is no playing behind the scenes with this new role, and this ultimately felt very…unsafe!

In 2009, during my employment at the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, a co-worker/friend/mentor, invited me to the New England Women’s Herbal Conference.  We attended this conference together, and there, I met an amazing amount of extraordinary women.  One woman sparked a deep rooted remembering within me, and I knew I would study with her further.  (That, however, is another story for another time).  This event, the Women’s Herbal Conference, felt like coming home and I knew I had to find more ways to gather in this manner.

In 2011, therefore, when I heard about the Daughters of the Earth Gathering…a women’s tribal event…I knew I had to attend.  And attend is what I did…alone!  Alone, for a weekend, camping on Pachamama.  While this sparked an incredible sense of adventure and empowerment within me, it also flirted with my comfort zone.  You see, I had very limited camping experience at this time.  I, therefore, embraced my inner goddess, found the event site, figured out where and how to set up camp and set out to explore.

One of the workshops I attended at this event was hosted by Mother Turtle and titled, ‘Healing the Stories We Tell Ourselves.’  At this workshop I was introduced to the divine concept of Master Energy…or ME.  This concept cracked me open and created a paradigm shift.  It broke me free from paralyzing thoughts of needing to master a skill before being able to stand in my power and use it…share it…own it as a part of my divine being.  Master Energy is your intuition, your knowing, your highest self.  When you come from a space of Master Energy, coupled with intentions for the highest good, you are harnessing your Spirit self and can NOT ‘mess up.’  This was beyond empowering for me.

Why else use the ME salutation you ask?  Because it is ME, capitalized.  It is ME big…big ME.  It is not the normal, expected salutation, and; thus, stands out.  It dares to be seen.  It does not shrink and become small in fear that others may disapprove of its’ bigness.  I’m not yelling ME…but I am standing in my biggest form.  When I see ME…I think standing in my/your/our power, woMEn and MEn, if you will.  We are all connected.  There is me in you and you in me…ME connects us.

I love Maine…ME.  Many family vacations have occurred in Maine, many heart-warming memories have been made in ME and my father lives in Maine.  For all these reasons, including the magical sea, Maine holds a special place in my heart.

When I was in my early 20’s I had a license plate cover that said, “It’s all about ME.”  This cracked me up. I was a young mother and felt that I had grown out of the ‘I’m the belly button of the universe stage’ and embraced this saying lightheartedly.  My parents, however, used this saying as a gateway to talk about my CHALLENGING teen years.  So, ironically enough, this saying was therapeutic for us in a sense.  BWAHAHAHAHA….this still cracks me up!

I had a friend call me MEME when I was young. MEME, therefore, rings with a youthful tone in my heart memories.  I had hoped my grandson would call me MEME as well…as now I am not young.  I, however, always reference myself as grandma, as referencing myself as MEME doesn’t come naturally.  Therefore, it would be bizarre if he called me anything different than grandma….but we will see.

So there ya have it.

Love, ME.