Women Over Dinner, Providence House, and Celebration of Sisters

by Nancy Coleman

We prepared for the event with such excitement. Women Over Dinner in conjunction with Providence House https://www.providencehouse.org, a transitional shelter program, women’s justice program, and permanent supportive housing program. 

There are unexpected experiences in life that can take me completely by surprise, and it’s usually generated by the depth of good I’m experiencing through my work with Unconditional Freedom’s programs and connections. 

The design of Women Over Dinner is to have women connect deeply over a nourishing meal while answering questions and following a format that allows for deep connection and expression. We listen and say thank you to the women answering the questions. This process offers space for expression without having to face the opinions of others all while being fully received. 

I was the woman at the table who presented the questions for the group of women from Providence House to respond to. The beauty, elegance, and strength of the women poured out as we were getting ready to start. The women, dressed so beautifully, emanated a nobility that filled the space with joy and anticipation, while enjoying one another’s company. 

The process began with me sharing the question that they would all respond to one person at a time. I went first. I read the question, and when I answered every woman at the table started to speak like a gospel meeting, all at once. It was this beautiful uproar of voices saying, “Oh Nancy, that’s amazing… so great, you go girl… I love that so much… you rocked it!” 

I thought to myself, we all just broke the rule of no crosstalk, and that was the most fun I’ve ever had at a Women Over Dinner! After my turn, the next request the women made was for me to read the question to each woman, again. We went around the table, each woman answering, all receiving the same response as I got—a celebration of each woman, a symphony of women supporting a sister. The joy, the backing, the affirmation had me sit erect in my seat. I thought to myself, “This is the most beautiful expression of unleashed women I have ever seen.” We all laughed and cried. I saw that the rules of the evening are meant to give guidelines, and sometimes we color outside the lines. 

At the end of the evening all the women were connected and said they felt closer to one another than they had when they arrived. They wanted me to know I was included in their connection. Love seared into the back of my heart. I did not expect to have my group take me under their wing so we could all fly together. I feel them all in my heart everyday.

Nancy Coleman joined Unconditional Freedom Project’s Prison Monastery Project team in 2021. Nancy is the Project Manager for the Art of Soulmaking correspondence program, a Monastery in a Workbook managing correspondence and the Free the Artist program where participants submit their art to our online gallery which will launch soon.