In Memoriam to Angeles Arrien

It was October 1992 when my life took a left-hand turn toward an unimagined future. An announcement arrived about a weekend workshop at Mills College featuring Michael Meade and Angeles Arrien. I jumped at the chance to attend, although I had never heard of Angeles my husband at that time had participated in men's only events with Michael Meade. This was the first such opportunity, to my knowledge that he had a female co-leader and women were invited.While Michael was my primary interest, I was immediately drawn to and enchanted by Angeles. Her words were so resonant. I was touched, inspired, inextricably drawn ... It was as if she was speaking directly to me, although we were several hundred people. Before the weekend came to a close, I signed up for a six-day workshop in Arizona, and that was the beginning of a long association with a woman who has been a source of inspiration and a font of wisdom for me.

Angeles has been my teacher, mentor, and a mirror to let me see the very best of who I was—and am. Her wisdom is timeless, and I have been blessed to receive her generosity of spirit and love. Through my early work with Angie, I reclaimed my love of anthropology from my early childhood years and left a successful career to go to graduate school to get my master’s degree in social and cultural anthropology, and it opened new worlds I never could have imagined.On April 24, Angeles died of walking pneumonia. Along with thousands of others I am grieving her loss. Angie touched so many lives with her gifts of love and acceptance. Yes, her many books and the successful ways of living are with me. I used to tell her that I wished I could carry her around in my back pocket. But the truth is, Angie's teachings stick like velcro. I'm not sure whether Angie fully appreciated it, but I believe that the person Angie was and how she showed up was her real contribution. We basked in her love and acceptance. Being in her presence was so uplifting that I could coast on the fumes for days and weeks.Angeles was a master facilitator. I learned so much about tracking ...