I enjoyed three meetings with women of religious faiths other than my own in January and February, 2016. We only knew each other from one previous meeting so our exchange was even more meaningful because we shared so intimately.

Our facilitator was an active, vibrant woman, age 90, who has degrees in psychology, law and seminary. The wealth of knowledge she brought to us was delivered with warmth and caring. She led us to share about the core of ourselves. This included the difficult times that make all of us human as well as the triumphs of joy. This commonality made it easy to share— and the fact that each person had an accepting attitude.

Not once did we ask, “What religion are you?” It didn’t matter. Acceptance and love of each other made the experience worthwhile. Instead, we shared what our experiences as women had been. Are we able to express our views to others with belief in ourselves and with courage? As women, we’ve fought hard to gain our voice in voting, being free of sexual harassment and assault, and equal rights. But sometimes life experiences stilt what we say and we cower, afraid to speak out.

We gained strengh from the stories we each told. We celebrated the gifts we each have to offer. We have hope for the future.