The Venuses just finished their fifth annual goddess gathering. We literally look forward to our midlife women’s weekend all year long. We know that we’ll pick up where we left off: commiserating, consoling, and caring. We also know that we will have to report our progress or lack of same to each other. We look forward with anticipation to plotting a course for the year and our lives to come. And this year’s meeting? If there were one word to describe our time together, it would have to be FULL.

Full fridge (see photo of our stockpile of food and wine – especially wine), full hearts, full glasses, full tear ducts, full-throated laughter, full bellies, full-on fun, full disclosure, full acceptance.

After a weekend that felt like a wonderful month of concentrated girlfriend time, we left each other full of renewed purpose, energy, and empowerment. Most important, we found ourselves FULL of gratitude for our Venus group’s wit and wisdom, facilitating our "coming of age".

Our advice to all our sister goddesses out there? Start your own Venus group and fill yourself up! (A full chapter is devoted to "How To Create Your Own Venus Group" in the upcoming book "Venus Comes of Age, The Wit and Wisdom of Menopausal Goddesses". However, if you need advice now, email us with your questions and we’ll do our best to help you get started.)