Women's Respite Program

This weekend, something truly special unfolded at our Women’s Respite Program.

One of the incredible women Gerldine found the courage to put her experience into words capturing not just her own journey, but the strength, connection, and healing shared among everyone present. As she read her poem aloud, you could feel the room hold space for every emotion, grief, hope, love, and resilience. Here she is sharing her artwork and here is her poem

The Mosaic
A torn piece here
broken piece there
A life nearly shattered . pieces everywhere .
Sleepless nights
Tear filled eyes
Each one gathered
Has uttered a cry.
Cries of anger
Of rejection too
A myriad of emotions
press their way through.
Mishandled ..neglected
pushed to the brink of gloom
These are so many pieces
gathered in this room.
Each piece but a reflection
of stories yet untold
Like pieces to a mosaic
Such beauty to behold .
Colors of resilience
Determined to stand
No longer willing
to make failure the plan.
So many broken pieces
Many colors to display
Speak mosaic speak
You have somethings to say.
Each woman gathered
through brokeness have stood
Having weathered more storms
than you thought you could.
Like the tiles in a mosaic
With beautiful colors to show
We create a picture
and don’t even know.

Tear colored tiles
mixed with smiles too
Come now Sister
Show the tile in you .
Mix your color with mine
Let love be our glue
Before we know it
A mosaic’s in view.
A vast array of colors
It’s a beautiful design
We make quite the picture
With your shapes colors and mine !

Gerldine Wilson—March 22,2026–all rights reserved

This weekend was a sacred space of rest, relaxation, and respite for an extraordinary group of women courageously walking through cancer.

We slowed down. We breathed deeply. We laughed. We cried when we needed to. We wrapped each other in understanding that only shared experience can bring.

In the quiet moments, we also honored the women who are no longer physically with us 🩷 speaking their names, holding their stories, and carrying their light forward. Their strength lives on in this sisterhood.

Respite is not just a break , it is restoration. It is remembering who you are beyond diagnosis. It is being held without having to be strong for anyone else.

Grateful for every brave soul who showed up, and for the love that continues to connect us-here and beyond. 🩷🎗️