Happy New Year. Welcome to the 4th issue of my ezine newsletter, and the first one since January 2005! My, time flies. It is my goal to have this ezine published quarterly: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. I hope you have all started 2006 with many things to be grateful for. In this issue of HSP Highlights & Insights, I am pleased to announce the 2006 HSP Gathering Retreats, introduce WomenOutdoors retreats in Colorado, share wisdom gained from the loss of my dog Layla, and share a Meditation of Hope and Love for living in an HSP-imperfect world. Finally, there is a new section called: The HSP Gatherings: Frequently Asked Questions. I hope you will enjoy this issue. I welcome your comments at womenoutdoors@yahoo.com

One of the things I am grateful for this year is the first European HSP Gathering Retreat to be held in Somerset, England, April 6 - 10, 2006 at Croydon Hall - www.croydonhall.com . Elaine will be speaking on "What's Special about the HSP's Brain and Body - Scientific Facts and Theories." She will also be with us on Friday evening in a more informal gathering, which will include a personal interview by - me! There are many personal questions I have always wanted to ask Elaine, and I guess now is my chance, although I am a bit nervous about it. Are we ready for this Elaine? Read more here...

 

A Report on the Pacific Northwest
HSP Gathering Retreat,
August 27-31

The Pacific Northwest HSP Gathering, held in August 2005 at the Whidbey Island Institute just north of Seattle, Washington, was a powerful experience for the 30 sensitive souls gathered together to share and connect around our sensitivity. We had some wonderful discussions and presentations. Read full article here.

 

Comments from the PNW Gathering

As everyone knows who has attended a Gathering the experience is different for everyone, and is hard to put into words, so I'll just share some of the comments from those attending our Whidbey Island Retreat. Read full article here.

 

HSP Gathering -
Frequently Asked Questions

Hi again, Jacquelyn,

Where would I find the info for the week in September at The Haven for the HSP workshop in British Columbia? What are the dates at the website? Are the speakers all set?

Do you have the completed agenda yet?
Do you know how long Elaine will be there?

Can I come late?
Please advise and thanks.

~ HSP Questor

 

Dear HSP Questor,

I'm so glad you asked. I have answered your questions, and more, in my new FAQ section of this newsletter. Click here to read more...

~ Jacquelyn

 

Layla:
A Story of Grief, Love and Healing
by Jacquelyn Strickland

It has been almost five months since our family lost our beloved golden retriever, Layla, at the age of 13. Her death was very unexpected and happened four days before the Pacific Northwest Gathering began on August 27, 2006. It was a difficult and trying time, but thanks to the wonderful HSPs who attended I made it through. Read full article here.

 

A Meditation of Hope and Love

It happened again last week and it could have ruined the rest of my day. For HSPs, encountering events such as this can be particularly challenging to recover from. I was in the shoe department of a local store. Sitting on the floor near me was a young boy about 9 or 10 years old surrounded by many pairs of shoes which he had obviously tried on and discarded. I noticed he was in the adult size 8 area and suggested he might have more luck by looking in the smaller sizes two rows down. He looked up at me and said "Oh, I looked there. They didn't have any tennis shoes, and besides, I can wear any size from 6 to 8. I don't mind if they are too big." I looked down at the shoes he was wearing on this cold day. They were torn and dirty, and he was walking on the heel of the shoes which had been worn down. . Read full article here.