Mother/Daughter Retreat: The Gift of Playback
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Swallow Tail Butterflies abounded!
We recently returned from our biennial mother/daughter retreat where we spent a week relaxing, connecting and creating together. We laughed and cried, explored our hearts and allowed ourselves space to be with the big questions of life (and of the moment!). Some highlights from this summer’s retreat included: Morning turmeric lattes watching swallow tail butterflies flutter around the butterfly bush, making surprise give-away bouquets, endless (!) sweet peaches, a charming performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream and fireflies!! Yes, that’s right! They were magical. Especially since the last ones we saw were at Disneyland in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride! We also enjoyed spontaneous creative projects like writing pet poetry, Shrinkidink earrings and botanical print towels. No matter what we were doing the heart stories were flowing - often times aided and facilitated by the activity at hand.
As I continue to reflect on our time, I am struck by the power of sharing stories through the arts. Gathering together as women, hands at work making and creating, and sharing stories is nothing new. And yet it remains transformative.
We have a fun tradition of each family leading a creative project with the group. We take the entire afternoon and dive into whatever creative invitation is present. This year, we had unexpected themes of flowers and ancestors. Ah, such beauty! Another meaningful way we explored our ancestors was through Playback Theatre, a form of improvisational theater where an audience member’s story is “played back” to them. In this case, mothers and daughters served as the audience. This helped us take our sharing a level deeper.
Joan and Erika
Erika and her mother, Joan, taught us the philosophy and forms of Playback and we were on our way! We were all players and audience members taking turns bringing each other’s stories to life. I was able to play and co-create with my mom in a new way while returning to an old form of play with a high school bestie. I “heard” the stories with my entire body as I moved to embody them while also learning new things from my mom and our family. Playback is so unique because it allows us to hold each other’s stories in a community setting. It also allows the opportunity to change or modify a story if desired. One of my most powerful experiences of playback captured a story from my childhood when all my friends turned on me. In the retelling of my story it was shaped in a way that allowed me to see all the support I have around me now. I’ll never forget the healing image of that re-shaping and how it felt to have my stories held by the group. Playback Theatre is powerful in that we can feel our stories shift in the telling and retelling through play. Together, as mothers and daughters, we embodied and reflected each other’s stories. I learned new things about each person! We laughed, we cried and I personally felt deeply connected to the group while also feeling the thrill of being brave and taking a risk.
The Players: Louise, Sarah, Joan and Erika