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For this September’s Donor Spotlight interview, I had the pleasure of talking with Judy Powell who has been a donor and strong supporter of Veriditas for many years. Below is her story.

Rita: When did you first encounter the labyrinth?

Judy:

I first walked the labyrinth in 1996 at an Episcopal Camp and Conference in NC. I was taking an intensive week long body and soul workshop and towards the end of the week a group came to walk the canvas labyrinth in the gym and they invited me to join them. At that time I had never heard of a labyrinth. It turned out to be a very synchronistic event for me.

Rita: How did you get involved with Veriditas?

Judy: 

Soon after that the labyrinth found me in San Francisco, after which I returned to St. Simmons Island in Georgia. The synchronicity with the labyrinth kept making things fall into place, time after time. A friend from Memphis called to tell me about a labyrinth workshop that Laruen was going to do there. I signed up and flew there with a couple that loved the labyrinth. I think I bought everything that was for purchase at the product table. I sat at the lunch table with Lauren who asked me if St. Simmons Island was anywhere near Sea Island because she was scheduled to do a workshop on Sea Island with a group of dentists in two weeks. Well, we all just about fainted as SSI and SI are one and the same in location. Lauren and Tom Keelan stayed with my husband and I when they came to Georgia and I had her do a half day presentation for our community when she finished with the dentist group. I then went to a labyrinth pilgrimage at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. That was just the start of my devotion to the work of the labyrinth and how easy it was for me to follow the path that was set before me. 

As a result I became committed to the work of

Veriditas. It was like holding on to the tiger’s tail, because every time I turned around it was a new insight or new experience. Or something was just placed in front of me that there was no rhyme or reason to it. It was just amazing.

I took the facilitator training in 2006. It was not my idea to present or teach or organize but I’m good at going behind the scenes and figuring out what group might need a labyrinth and encouraging them, especially encouraging individuals. We have a labyrinth here at Sea Island in the spa which is what they call a Petite Chartres, which is a 7 circuit labyrinth (didn’t have enough room for an 11 circuit). I helped Sea Island get that work done and things like that.

I believe that each of us needs a way to quiet our minds and open our hearts and I can’t think of a better tool than the labyrinth. It’s very important to me to spread as many labyrinths around as we can. It’s the quiet and contemplative aspect of it that I think is so healing. You can walk it alone or in the community and the healing is still taking place. We’re touching each other’s hearts and opening our own. After many years of encouragement my sons finally came to walk the labyrinth at the Open Door. They know my commitment. It’s just another layer that as you grow you expand yourself a little bit more and the labyrinth certainly helps us to do that. It’s how we help each other grow…The labyrinth to me is a beautiful and magnificent instrument, one that every human can play. The music is that of the soul.

Global Healing Response (GHR)

Little Miracles on the Path