“Parents retreat”- Redefining “support”

In 2013, one of those newsletters from the Autism Resource Center changed how I look at the word “support.”

The email was about a moms' retreat hosted by the center: pay $90 to register for an overnight stay at a hotel on the first Saturday of June, check in at 3 PM, get $40 back, hang out with other moms, and check out after breakfast the next day.

It was the first time I spent a night away in a hotel without my family and shared a room with a stranger. That one sleepover changed my life in many ways. I became a regular at the retreat until COVID happened. COVID changed the meaning of “retreat” for me; I no longer was interested in parties, dancing, or crowds. The Desi Moms Network took over many of my priorities.

This year, I received an email from another organization about a parents' retreat. It was a totally different setup but a similar idea, just on a bigger scale. There were around 25 couples—60 of us in total—who spent more than 28 hours together. It was a lot less “energetic” (let's put it this way) than my other moms' retreat. It was a beautiful setting. We had time to reflect on our parenting journey and support one another. It was my first time, but many had been coming for some time. It was interesting to see how these two retreats had different vibes.

I think I needed that energetic retreat 11 years ago , and this calmer retreat was perfect for who I am now.

A mangalgiri cotton for the reception—it was a beautiful property, and I loved being one of a kind that evening. 

Good bye time, Everyone had one minute to talk about their time together.

One of the activity was "Six words" Your life story in six words 

 Mine was "Pay it forward- Build your village"