16 • March 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES LDER ISDOM
SONOMA COUNTY, CA. ~ I’ve had the privilege of knowing Sharon Maser, founder and di- rector of the nonprofi t Women’s School of Healing Arts and Sci- ences for the past 14 of her 71 years, and have both witnessed and admired her determination to hold on to the dream of creating a special place for women, “to fi nd each other, renew and cre- ate from.
A place that suits us
and supports us...a place to nur- ture and take care of ourselves...” This dream evolved as part of Sharon’s spiritual journey which began in 1971, as she explored a variety of traditions and also col- lected wisdom from nature. An avid photographer and former science teacher, Sharon had taken delight in capturing the beauty found in nature, so her vision of a special place for women would, of course, be in a natural setting. “Flowers feed the soul,” she has shared.
Born in Los Angeles on May 16, 1943, Sharon moved to San Francisco in 1961 and volun-
teered for the Peace Corps in Morocco in 1963. After complet- ing a BA degree at San Francisco State, she moved to Marin Coun- ty in 1970 where she taught high school biology and her daughter, Gabrielle, was born. Sharon then moved to Sonoma County in 2001.
Sharon has been a strong ad-
vocate for the contributions of women and promoted women’s health and well-being for years before founding the Women’s School in 1985. She selected the iris as the symbol of the Women’s School, “because of the great va- riety and beauty of its fl owers, such as women have, and the underground rhizome (nutrients) network which feeds the fl owers, as do women’s great underground network.” A natural teacher, she has led many circles and work- shops, and has spoken on a range of topics related to women’s empowerment and healing.
A
life-long learner, she also earned a Master’s degree in Women’s spirituality from the California
Life has a way of throwing us curve balls, and Sharon’s life is no exception. Facing a diagno- sis of adrenal cancer three years ago
by Eloise Tweeten
Eloise@TweetenEldercare.com Hold on to your dreams...
Institute of Inte- gral Studies in 2011.
recently as February, Sharon held steadfast to her dream and made plans to attend and present at two conferences in Rome, Italy this April to share her vision of
Wild Flow- er and garner support and funding for the project.
What is it that
drives a person to hold on to their dreams?
h e a d -
on, she em- braced a natural healing journey, both physically and spiritually. As additional tumors were found, Sharon was relent- less in charting her own course and making deliberate and well- considered decisions involving treatment that served her best. As
To Sharon, perhaps it was HER mandate, as expressed in the follow- ing poem she wrote in January:
You Have a Mandate
As a woman, you have a mandate. It is to bring forth life, and nurture and support it.
Simple and straightforward. As a woman, you have it: a Mandate to create and protect life.
What more do you need? It’s not so easy though.
It requires self-awareness and bravery
to go against the huge destructive wave.
The tsunami of annihilation. Why women? Why are women given this mandate, this leadership?
The tender and gentlest of all. The least war-like? Think about it.
Because that is exactly who we are. Not threatening. Not combative. Comforting. Attractive. And we are everywhere. Because of our relationships. We all have them. And we go everywhere. We teach, we model, we lead. Relationships are about the heart. About things that bind us. Empathy. Compassion. Connection. It is our soft, loving way. And it works really well. It is our tool. Intuition is our gift, our way of know- ing.
The Divine is our source. Love is our answer. How can this be anyway but the best way to be? How can this be anyway but the best way to do? for all? We are here to beautifully support what has been beautifully created for us.
Question your motives. Review your answers. Know who you are. Ground in your truth. Speak. You are a Woman. You have a Mandate.
Sharon Maser passed from this world in body on February 18, 2015, but her spirit lives on in her community of family and friends, in the Women’s School, and in the dream of Wild Flower. And remember, dreams do come true!
Eloise Tweeten is an elder care advi- sor based in Santa Rosa, CA. If you know a wise elder who is willing to be interviewed for this column, please contact her at 707-570-2589
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16 • March 2015 • UPBEAT TIMES Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect. ~Theodore Parker
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