Michelle Dray

We’ve done it!

Sunday 1st Feb 1st February. St Brigids Day. When I was younger I knew just a little about our Irish patron saint, Just what we learned in school…Co. Kildare , something about a magical cloak and those crosses .  What seemed to me to be just a religious feast day and not anything that held significance to me. But actually the significance of Brigid is far older  than that catholic perspective. She is the symbol of sisterhood , female resilience friendship and female strength . So how better to support my sisters in danger than to join with some of my own band of sisters to support Women’s Aid with a swim in the uninviting iciness of the Irish Sea. When I’ve had highs and lows in my own life I have been able to confide and be held by my own tribe of women. We swim together and talk our anxieties out and share our deepest thoughts. So we did a bit more of that today, five of us on a storm washed Tower Bay beach, Portrane dreading the cold but in it  together . Holding each others hand if the shingle under our feet made us unsteady. Cheering each other on.  A metaphor for the turbulence that life can hold, how with support you can get through. Yes it was  as freezing as expected but totally worth it for the laughs and camaraderie and sharing a beautiful experience with my own band of incredible women. And the sauna afterwards helped ease the discomfort considerably 😘 A big big shout out to all who supported us with financial contributions. Thankyou!! ❤️ Share