Success Stories

Why We Are In the Family of Women

I knew I was going to marry my husband the moment I met him.  No lie; it was love at first sight.  However, the first three years of marriage were turbulent and difficult.  I grew more and more miserable until just after our third anniversary, I began planning my escape from the “controlling” man I loved but couldn’t live with. 

I was torn between handing my children the same legacy of divorce that had hurt me so much and continuing to show my children a miserable example of marriage.  I didn’t know what to do.  I vacillated between staying and going.  I got a job. I played phone tag with attorneys, growing daily more miserable, desperate and confused. I started to think I was truly crazy.

 A friend of mine had been mentioning the Women’s Weekend for many years.  My response was always the same.  “I am well-rounded.  If he would only change….”

 By the fall of our third year of marriage I was desperate, willing to try anything.  I called my friend and told her I wanted to go to the Woman’s Weekend.  I went in December of that year (2005). 

 I called my husband on the first night of the weekend (once I got back to my room) and told him that I was totally committed and that divorce was not an option.  I literally changed my marriage overnight.  My heart was bursting open with joy and relief. I couldn’t stop crying. I could hear my husband exhaling all his pent up fear in a giant sigh of relief.  He thanked me over and over, tearfully, joyously.  He still thanks me for saving our marriage!  My husband was so inspired in the change in me that he attended the Men’s Weekend just three months later.  There are still rough patches, disagreements, and the like that come with any relationship but they are few and far between.  They are less frequent, the duration is MUCH shorter and WAY less intense. 

 I joined the Family of Women in January 2006, just after completing the weekend. I volunteered for leadership shortly after completing the Orientation Program and continue to give back to the Family of Women in this manner.  I learned many basics from the Women’s Weekend but it is here in the Family of Women that I have been successful in integrating those basics into my life.  It has been a safe, loving and nurturing place to learn how to replace bad old habits with new ones that work…a place to practice, learn and grow.

 My life is peaceful, solid and rewarding.  My children are happy and balanced.  My marriage is a safe haven.  I am still love with my husband, just like the day we met.  I have everything I have ever wanted and more than I asked for or ever dreamed.  I have women in my life who are honest, trusting and trustworthy.  They know how to get past the drama and deep into the heart of things.  They are “can-do” women with “no problem” attitudes and they are here for me no matter what and no matter when!   I KNOW WHO I AM AS A WOMAN.  I know what I stand for and what my purpose is.  Some will live a lifetime without knowing that.  I am blessed and fortunate. I am passionate, purposeful and powerful.

 I share this tale with anyone who will sit still long enough. I am always brought to tears when I think of where I was compared to where I am.  I have received so many gifts in the past two and a half years; I cannot keep this to myself. 

 I dream of a world where every woman chooses to have this and trusts herself to keep it:  Peace, happiness, fulfillment, a deep and loving knowledge of herself.  It takes work and sacrifice.  It is not always easy, but it is always worth it.  When women tell me what they want in life, I hold out my hand and say, “Come with me.  I know a place where all of that can happen. We’ll go together.” 

Mia (WW 12/05, in FOW for 2 ½ years)     

I am in the Family of Women because of the support I receive from the other women. I believe the Family of Women is a place where women help other women have their lives work and their dreams come true. I have my dreams because of women who told me the truth and didn't quit on me, no matter what I did to them. I trusted myself and trusted the women around me and they helped me get my dreams. I am married and have two beautiful sons because of the love and support I receive from the women in the Family of Women. We are there for each other - no matter what. I have learned to always tell each other the truth even when it is painful. I love the women I have met and have yet to meet in the Family of Women. There is a bond that forms just by being part of a larger community. I have become the woman I want to be by being in the Family of Women.

Liz (WW 12/96, in FOW for 8 years)

I did my weekend in March 1999 in NY. I joined the FOW right away and completed my Orientation program right before moving to Florida. I spent 2 years in Miami and then another year in my hometown, Buenos Aires (Argentina), so I was not actively participating in FOW Program at the time, but I kept in touch with some women that I met through FOW and that helped me keep working towards my vision. I wanted to be married to the man of my dreams and have kids with him. But I kept being attracted to the wrong men. Finally in early 2002 I came back to live in Atlanta and joined FOW again right away. I have grown a lot as a woman by being a part of this organization. I have met many wonderful women that have inspired me and helped me set sails in the right direction. One of those women, held my vision for me for almost 6 years… since I did my weekend. Many times, she was more clear than I was about what I really wanted in my life. And she was always honest with me and kept steering me in the right direction. It was not always easy to support me. I was stubborn at times and kept choosing things that were not getting me any closer to my dream. But she never gave up on me! She trusted me more than I trusted myself. She was always patient and loving, and she kept supporting me in a way that allowed me to grow, mature and eventually find my own way. I am getting married to the man of my dreams in April 16^th. I would not be here if it were not for Christine and what I learned in the Family of Women. Even throughout this relationship, I needed her support, and that of many other women, to manage the relationship correctly. They helped me be the woman I wanted to be and have the man of my dreams ask me to be his wife!

 Andrea (WW 03/99, in FOW for 2 years)

 

Ellen (WW 12/97, in FOW for 8 years) 

 

I have been in the Family of Women since I graduated from the Women's Weekend in December of 1997. I feel fortunate in that I did the WW 4 months prior to getting married to my wonderful husband. I know our marriage today is so much stronger and better than it ever would have been if I hadn't done the Weekend or continued my involvement in the Family of Women. Honestly when I completed the Weekend I felt I was given an huge toolbox filled with all the necessary tools to have super successful relationships and to create the life of my dreams. The Family of Women has really given me the opportunity to do just that. My husband and I truly are a team together and have weathered a few storms in our marriage including the death of our infant daughter. I really credit what I learned in the Weekend and the support we received from the women and men in our community during this difficult time for giving us the strength and courage to go on and to even fulfill our dreams of having a family. I have seen so many other women realize their dreams and to see what's at stake for them if they don't make having successful relationships a priority. My relationship with my mother is better than ever and I can just love her not only as my mom but just as another woman. Today I know I have a choice to see life as a never-ending problem to be solved or a wonderful journey that I get be a
part of and live it together with a great bunch of women.

Corey (WW 12/97, in FOW for 7 years)
 

 

I have been a member of the FOW since doing my weekend.  I have done leadership training, getting ready, been part of the core team, Branch Legacy Manager, Regional Legacy Manager, and now Weekend Turnover Team Manager in training, Regional WW101 Leader.  My success is around the relationships I have healed and the quality of the new ones I have created.  I am much more open and vulnerable with people.  Before my weekend, I tended to think of myself as a rock...not a great connotation really.  Rocks are hard, impenetrable, nonmoving...I created a fortress of solitude for myself.  I realized after doing the weekend that this wasn't working for me.  I was holding people at arms length, not allowing them to see that I was human too.  By letting go of that, I am now able to better live in the moment, not worry so much about what people will think if I am not perfect all the time.  I have taken on excellence, not perfection.  My relationships with men have also drastically changed.  I was a woman who had to have it all my way or no way.  I made men wrong all the time...at work, my ex-husband, my partners.  Of course that did not work out too well...again, everyone felt that either I rejected them or they rejected me.  I learned that by using  my feminine tone as a guide, I didn't need to control...I could just let go and allow the course of the relationship to build naturally.  There are many other successes...I have wonderful women in my life who keep me accountable for all I do.  I am living with my parents, something there is no way would have happened without the WW.  I have a great relationship with my kids....my daughter made some very adult decisions based on her knowing that I love her unconditionally....and that she is truly her own person....something I learned from my weekend.  I am in the FOW to, as was stated in a movie I saw today...pay it forward.

Janice (WW 10/00, in FOW for 4 years)

 

Since doing my Women's Weekend in December of 1996, I can't imagine NOT being in the Family of Women. I need the support I receive from women and the clarity of the principles of the Weekend that are reinforced by being in regular relationship with the Family of Women. In the Family of Women, I've been able to share my deepest, darkest secrets and discover that I don't have to be ashamed of my past, or feel guilty about my dreams for my future. I have access to women who have successful marriages, incredible jobs, and are loving mothers. The women in the Family of Women teach me what to do, and what not to do! I especially enjoy the opportunities I have had to serve on teams, where I have learned to manage my ego. I have become very comfortable around men through the many opportunities to serve on projects with them. And I've really been able to open up my heart, all as a result of the love and support I get from the Family of Women.

Patti (WW 12/96, in FOW for 8 years) 

 

I did my Women's Weekend in July '95 and discovered that I really didn't want to be a man, that I needed women in my life, and that I was very good at lying to myself. I also fell in love again with my husband of 33 years (now 42 years). In the first cycles I continued to learn and my life, which had never been bad, became continually better.

So the question is, why do I stay in FOW? Two reasons -- one selfish, one altruistic. On the selfish side, I don't trust myself not to go back to my bad old ways without regular reinforcement. I need women who will tell me the truth and help me get past the bad patches that happen in any life. My second reason is about giving back. My purpose in life has always been to help people find their inner greatness. I believe that living in high self-esteem means you care about others and treat them well. If more people came from that place our world would be so much better. By being a leader in FOW, I can help women raise their own self-esteem and then do the same for others. Through this ripple effect, I can change the world.

Hilda (WW 07/95, in FOW for 10 years)

 

I initially did the women's weekend because I wanted to be a part of the circle of women that were so welcoming and so honest with each other.  I couldn't believe the love in the room that night I registered.  I couldn't wait to join after my weekend. 

I have been in the FOW since then - that's almost 8 years.  Each cycle there is a different reason that motivates me to stay since my life is ever changing.  I love that no matter what is going on in my life there are women I can trust to help me bring my best to the world and all the lives that I touch.  I have learned more about myself and how to be in relationship with my mother, my husband and my son.  All the things I thought I knew have been enhanced and I have even let go of those things that I thought I knew that actually don't serve me anymore.  The FOW is an amazing place to be.

Michelle (WW 12/97, in FOW for 8 years)

 

If you are a member of the Family of Women and would like to contribute to this section of our web site, please send your submission to: successstories@familyofwomen.org