Share Their Stories: Marie and Luce

When we are vulnerable and open with the women in our lives we build relationships where we feel seen, understood, safe, and loved! Taking time to revel in our joy and decompress together brings us closer - it's hard to show our true selves when we're not in a judgement free environment, and that environment is so hard to find. This is how Marie and her niece and godchild Luce bonded at the Weekend Getaway. 

What was your Rise experience like for you and your niece? 

It was so rewarding in multiple ways! Each year I set a growth journey for myself. Last year, 2022 was the year where I chose to connect with my family more firmly. My personal game plan was to increase my relationship with all my 17 nieces and nephews. I am the last child of 9 siblings and the only female sibling that had not bore any children of my own. As heart aching it had been for me in the past not being a mom, I embraced gratitude for being blessed to be a godmother to two of my nieces and to two of my nephews. This is why attending Rise with my niece, also my first godchild, Luce, was so heartwarming and incredible! When I asked her if she would like to attend, and she said, “YES” I was dancing with joy (literally). She is a passionate teacher and a fabulous mother of three! She is also funny, smart, super creative and well grounded. I wanted the weekend to be special for both of us. I wanted bonding time that I was personally longing for and I also wanted to introduce her to a place where she could share her greatness, be fully expressive, be present and decompress, free of judgement. 

What did you learn about your relationship and take away from Rise?

We admired each other for being who we are and for what we do.  She considered me her second mom and thanked me for inviting her to Rise. She was like, “You are so bubbly!” That caught me off guard since I could appear shy at times but when I’m in a comfortable space, I am myself. So it was quite pleasing to hear her say that. It was a very emotional time full of love, laughter, and a lot of crying. However we were still respectful to give each other space to do our own thing while at Rise. Our take away from Rise is that we are beautiful women who have nurturing attributes of our own and we deserve to take time to exhale and reflect on our life happenings.

Why did you want to bring your niece after attending yourself? 

My previous experiences have all been wonderful. My first year was all about self-exploration and knowing that I had just left a corporate job and was considering becoming an entrepreneur. My second year was the continuation of it(that is when COVID hit) as it was still a part of me satisfying a dream. My third year, I was wrapped in being my most authentic self. So my fourth year came along and I really wanted to enjoy it with my niece! I wanted her to be and meet other incredible women like I have and just have a memorable time. I left Rise with an incredible release…being able to let go of all that was not serving me for the better and be grateful for more love & connection.