POM Connections

Do you enjoy thinking about the interesting connections, twists and turns your life takes? I do, although I am not always in a position to accept, trust and find the blessing in many life events, especially the 'unwanted ones'! These days I feel more able to respond wisely to whatever interesting connections and ups and downs pop up, thanks to my wonderful teachers, who have so patiently taught me how.

At the start of this year I made the resolution to 'go with the flow' of life and trust rather than resist what is! Still a work in progress, although I am happily remembering a little more. 
I wanted to write this blog to fill in some gaps and give you a POM update. I shared much of my trip to Sri Lanka and the opportunities I had to connect with the women at the WDC in a series of blogs in March this year, entitled - 'What are Maree and POM up to?' I  am so thankful to you all for your support in reading and sharing blogs, buying bread, biscuits, aprons, tea towels and other POM and Sri-Sisters products and receiving them too, coming to yoga, cutting my hair for free and donating the cost, to POM and joining me for a crafternoon. I am so grateful to you all. 
So, how did this POM connection with Tenzin Lekdron (aka Shiro), Sri Lanka, and the WDC start? It all began several years ago when one of my sons began going out with Tara. I was fortunate enough to get together with my son, Tara, and her mother Shiro for dinner one night. Our kids had suggested we meet as they thought we would get on as we had much in common including an interest in Buddhism. I have been very fortunate to meet many wonderful friends through my children, including Shiro and most recently my friend Rosie. Shiro and I hit it off, as the saying goes, and we decided to remain friends no matter what course our children's relationship took.
The next few years saw lots going on for both Shiro and I. Shiro was preparing to become ordained as a nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and I was working on getting POM up and running and teaching a weekly Buddhist Philosophy class. I was very fortunate to have some wonderful business, creative and technical assistance from friends including Courtney, Kath, Sam, Sue, Alice and Jacqi. I amazed myself in setting up a website, writing weekly blogs, developing online courses and even getting over my Facebook phobia! It often felt like a struggle though and I couldn't help but wonder if there was something missing.

Shiro was ordained Tenzin Lekdron by the Dalai Lama on March 1st 2015 in Dharamsala. She was living in a nunnery in Kathmandu when the earthquake hit on 25th of April 2015. Despite such challenging situations she was able to render assistance to others and turn problems into opportunities with her amazing strength, courage, wisdom and sense of humour. She was sent to Sri Lanka, her  country of birth, and has been involved in setting up the Tara Lanka Centre there. Despite the challenges of being a Mahayana nun in a Theravada country, she has formed many beautiful connections, including the WDC. She shares her wisdom in her unique, warm and joyous way.

Tenzin Lekdron visited Melbourne in 2016 and we got together at Tara Institute. She shared her amazing year with me and told me of her work in Sri Lanka including her involvement with the Kandy Women's Development Centre (WDC). The Centre offers a safe haven, access to education, training and support for women suffering from the effects of abuse. Many of the woman are pregnant and lactating mothers and the centre provides a haven not only for them, but their babies too.  

During our conversation the missing POM component sprung to light. I could make POM about writing blogs to share wisdom, teaching POM yoga, handicrafts, cooking and community connection. Sharing with 'others' to support Tenzin Lekdron and her work with the WDC. And these 'others' I share with are you wonderful friends reading this blog, right now! Heartfelt thanks to you all for sharing with me and your support. During that meeting we made plans to get together in Sri Lanka in February 2017 - and we did! I shared our time in Sri Lanka and work at the WDC in the March - 'What are Maree and POM up to?' posts. In a nutshell we ...

• Visited and stayed at the WDC and worked with the women there sharing workshops on baking and craft.
• We also shared ideas and patterns, and set up a Sri-Sisters Connection between POM Melbourne and the WDC, through Sashi, the wonderful director there. The women at the WDC are hand looming and hand making POM products for POM to sell here. And they are arriving this week!
• Had a wonderful birthday which began with a funny birthday breakfast with Alice in a rural village restaurant near the WDC, where we ate curry-rice and made plunger coffee with my travel plunger and coffee from home for the restaurant staff. For morning tea I  was treated to a cake kindly organised by Lekdron and transported to the WDC by tuk tuk. The women sang happy birthday in Sinhalese, we cut the cake into 50 pieces and had fun sharing the celebration. 
• We also had fun re-connecting with the staff and boys at Bosco Sevana, a rehabilitation centre for boys, that we had worked at during our first trip to Sri Lanka. The 'Share it Around',  biscuit business raises funds for the boys. 

Since that time further POM opportunities have popped up! These include...

• Continuing to raise funds through yoga and the sale of POM products to support Tenzin Lekdron and her work with the WDC. Thank you all for your ongoing support!
• POM Crafternoon - please see information above and here 
• Supporting an education fund set up by Tenzin Lekdron to provide further education and training opportunities for the women at the WDC. Very excited to have sent extra money for this this month - thank you all!!
• The wonderful assistance of Tara in editing my blogs of all the interesting spelling and grammar hiccups and writing the creative copy for the POM products.  

Have a great week 
Thank you all once again for your continued support, friendship and generosity. And thanks to Tara who kindly edits these blogs for me each week. 
Kind Regards and Best Wishes 
Maree xx