Sorority

What happens when French-speaking women gather in the woods for a weekend.

I’ll be honest, I was a little worried going in. Last year I felt quite anxious at the Congress, and I wasn’t sure if it would happen again. I’m happy to say it didn’t. I felt genuinely at ease, present, and had a really good time with all these lovely French-speaking women.

Every year, RFCB organizes a Congress where around 50 French-speaking women living in BC gather for a weekend to connect, in a beautiful retreat centre somewhere in the province. This year it was at the Bethlehem Centre in Nanaimo, a nonprofit venue tucked right beside Westwood Lake, where we could swim if we felt like it, which I did!

The theme this year was “Constellation of Women”, an invitation to connect with ourselves, with each other, and with nature. Like a constellation, each woman brings her own light.

I want to start by thanking the team behind RFCB for the incredible organization. We don’t always realize how much work goes into events like these, not just physically and logistically, but energetically too. So thank you for another beautiful Congress. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

I also want to take a moment to recognize RFCB more fully, because I honestly had no idea of the extent of their work until I started attending larger events like this one. It’s one thing to be a member, or to help with one project here and there. But when you start really seeing everything they’re doing (the programs, the advocacy, the community work) that’s when you realize the real scope of what this organization represents.

RFCB has been around since 1990, and their programs go far beyond organizing events. They support new arrivals integrating into BC, run youth programs teaching young people about healthy relationships, offer a mobile resource service for women across the province, work on ending domestic violence in the francophone community, and advocate for women’s rights at both provincial and federal levels. And that’s just scratching the surface.

I’m glad they took time during the Congress to share these projects with us, because some women like myself aren’t always plugged into the nonprofit or advocacy world. Hearing about this work firsthand is a reminder that some people are quietly doing the hard, important work of making our society more just and equitable. Often behind the scenes. Often without enough recognition.

So thank you, RFCB. I see you too. 🤍

You can learn more about their programs and how to get involved at reseaufemmes.bc.ca.

Over the weekend we enjoyed a full lineup of workshops: laughter yoga, a women’s sharing circle, a guided session to help us finally take action on a project we’d been putting off, and a visualization to connect with our own inner wisdom. On top of that, we had access to the lake for swimming, a hiking trail, yoga on Sunday morning (which I skipped in favor of sleep, no regrets 😄) arts and games Saturday evening, and delicious food throughout the whole weekend.

This was my third Congress. I’m honestly not sure why I didn’t attend before Covid, I think I just wasn’t as connected to the French community back then. But for people like me, immigrants living far from home, connecting with our culture of origin is something almost impossible to fully explain. I spend most of my time in English, with non-French friends and colleagues in my day-to-day life. And yet the moment I’m with “my people,” something shifts.

There’s something that becomes easier to access. Something invisible that settles in and allows the nervous system to relax, to feel more at ease, more safe, more like yourself. That je-ne-sais-quoi that doesn’t need to be explained because everyone in the room already feels it too.

And then there’s the added layer of spending the weekend with only women. There’s an understanding that doesn’t need much translation. Similar struggles, similar pains, similar daily realities in so many ways.

One moment from the weekend has stayed with me.

A woman was in a lot of pain from period cramps. I recognized it immediately, I’ve been there. So I helped. I remembered a yoga posture that can ease cramp pain and invited her to try it. I held her hand through the harder moments, got her hot water bottle ready to use for her belly, and just sat beside her, to be present, to go through it with her. Another friend joined us and brought a blanket and some essential oils.

That is sorority in action.

I was so glad to be there for her. She received it so openly, especially being at her very first Congress.

I’ll say it again, like I said it in last year’s article: if you have a group of girlfriends you’ve been meaning to do a retreat with, don’t wait. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. As the saying goes: KISS: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart 😉 You don’t need a special place or a perfect plan. You just need a safe space, some good food, and your people. Space to be vulnerable, to share the hard moments, and, just as importantly, to laugh and play.

🌱 And if what you’re craving isn’t just a girls’ weekend but some deeper support, someone to sit with you through the harder moments, that’s exactly what I’m here for as a counsellor. Reach out anytime. 🌱 Let’s connect

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