A Magical Birthday Celebration in the Woods
Last weekend, some friends and I went away to one of my favorite spots in Tennessee - White’s Room and Board. Eric and I visited this place last spring and fell in love with it, so I made the mental note that for my birthday this year, I’d return with some of our friends. We had the most magical few days. The group, as a whole, didn’t know each other well (I chose to invite couples that my partner had gotten to know this year). However, I knew that everyone would love each other.
This is very ‘Enneagram 4’ of me - I love making gatherings feel intentional and expansive and always want people to leave feeling seen, loved, and connected. I thought I’d share some of the things we did to create a fun and effortless experience for everyone.
Being in nature is so grounding for me, and where we stayed was absolutely gorgeous! There were so many animals for us to play with - horses, mini donkeys, goats, cats, and chickens. We gathered eggs each day for our meals, we went on walks, and it was even warm enough for us to hike to a swimming hole for a dip! The cabins have a sauna and a hot tub, so we had lots of fun taking advantage of the amenities! This cabin is really close to Burgess Falls and the property has a waterfall behind the house - it was absolutely stunning! Every couple signed up for a specific meal, which made food prep really easy. We’d all sit down and enjoy our meals together on the back porch.
Every night we sat around the fire for hours, talking, laughing, and crying. I had everyone play “Ruthie Games”, which everyone likes to remind me are not actually games. They’re question cards that get people to open up and share. We played with this one the first night.
This automatically opens up the most beautiful, raw conversations. I usually go first and answer very honestly to set the tone for the night. These cards allow people to really drop in - to get real and honest on how they’re actually feeling. I feel like my heart grows a little more with each person I play with :) We laughed hysterically and there were plenty of tears as well. I felt so much love for all of these precious souls sharing themselves so openly.
Vulnerability in spaces where we feel cared for brings so much connection and intimacy, and this was the perfect reminder.
Our precious friends, Amelia and Ethan, brought their massage table and set it up under the most gorgeous canopy of trees. I had a massage in the most beautiful weather and felt so cared for. Audrey asked everyone to draw pictures of my essence, and oh my goodness, it was the most precious, thoughtful thing. On Saturday night, everyone went around explaining their drawing and how they experience me. I felt so very loved by each of them. It was so thoughtful, creative, and hilarious.
On the second night we had our last bonfire and Eric’s wonderful brother jokingly said, “I’ve been doing campfires all wrong! I didn’t know they could be like this! I feel like I’ve been in therapy for 2 days!” Ha. I had the most beautiful few days. It was this Enneagram 4’s heaven - so many heart to heart conversations, connection, delicious food and shared meals, creativity, nature, animals, laughter, and people I absolutely adore.
Eric went above and beyond to make me and everyone else feel so loved and cared for. It’s wild for me to think about my birthday party last year. My girlfriends all came together in a circle, each one taking turns holding a gorgeous rose quartz heart they had bought me. They spoke their intentions into it, reminding me of the love that I am so deserving of (because we all are). I had been single for quite some time and was so ready to open my heart to love. Here we are one year later, and what’s wild is I had my first date with Eric that very same week. He even brought me a gratitude journal as a birthday gift!
It’s so crazy to me how much can happen in a year. Now he lives with me, we’re planning our future together, and building a really precious life that I thank the Divine for every single day. I fell in love for the first time at 43, and it was so worth the wait! I’m so grateful for this past year; so much has shifted in every aspect of my life, work, money, and most of all relationships. There have been plenty of heartbreaking moments and also, so much beauty and goodness. I’m grateful. Truly grateful.
And I’m so grateful for this community. I’ve really been moving away from Instagram and putting a lot more of my focus here with y’all. This community feels so incredibly life-giving to me. I’d love to hear the ways you create authentic connection with your friends. Do you have games you play? Questions you like to ask? I would love to hear.
Sending so much love to you all,
❤️ Ruthie
Here are some other question games I love for conscious gatherings:
And this book is wonderful. I spoke with Priya years ago and was so moved by her and her teachings on how to connect and gather intentionally.
Keep reading for:
The Sacred Rebel Retreat - April 2024
Relaxed Money - Q&A and Support with Ruthie
Soulful Singleness and Divine Dating with Mari Andrew
The Sacred Rebel Retreat
April 12-14th 2024
Learning to Love Every Part of Yourself
Prepare to embark on an extraordinary voyage of self-discovery and healing, where you’ll reconnect with the radiant, whole, and divine essence that is your birthright. Guided by the esteemed author, coach, and soul midwife, Ruthie Lindsey, this transformative retreat promises an experience that transcends the confines of societal norms.
Throughout this empowering weekend:
Discover liberation through expression, find radical self-love, reconnect with your body, unlearn and remember through the power of evocative writing prompts, meditation, and the support of a nurturing community, learn integration practices, and gain tools for self-love.
By the conclusion of this weekend, you will possess a profound comprehension of the conditioning that led you to believe something was wrong with you and the tools and wisdom required to unlearn these stories and fully embrace the radiant being that resides within.
This retreat is open to all, regardless of your background or experience. No matter where you are on your journey, you are welcome here.
I was so excited to see so many of you sign up for Kate Northrup’s Relaxed Money course! I’d love to offer a special Q&A for those of you who signed up for this round of Relaxed Money. This will take place on December 6th at 11:30 am CST and will be a chance for you to ask any questions you may have about the course so far. I know there are quite a few people who signed up for the container, so this will give you a chance to gather with a smaller group, and get some additional support around the money topics Kate is going through with you.
To sign up, see the link below (and please note, this is ONLY for those who signed up for Kate’s Relaxed Money course. We appreciate you for honoring this space.)
I so look forward to gathering with you then!
And speaking of relationships, I’m so excited to share that on November 28th at 11:30 CT my dear friend and sister, Mari Andrew, is going to do a special event for all my paying members to talk about Soulful Singleness and Divine Dating. I’ve heard her talk on this a bit and her wisdom and insight on these topics felt really beautiful. We would love to have you join us!