Dear Jo,
Where do I even start? I have been talking about our weekend with friends, colleagues and my husband since leaving Malden yesterday. Considering that I was anticipating the weekend with a combination of dread and fear (kind of like looking forward to a dentist's appt) and my daughter Eliza was mad that she had to spend one of her last weekends home at this class instead of with her friends, the 360 degree change in attitude is a true testament to how valuable an experience you created for all of us.
To say that we both found the experience eye opening, empowering and life changing is an understatement. You are really gifted in what you do - an amazing combination of compassion, humor, motivational skills and knowledge. I (and most of us in the group I am sure) would never have imagined that this muscle memory thing really kicks in and that we would ever be able to handle the various scenarios with such confidence.
One of the coolest parts of the experience was your coaching voice. I really do get tears in my eyes when I recount those sexual assault scenarios and how scary they were. But above all, I hear your voice saying "you are going to be fine, you will find the right time to make your move." Being able to hear your voice over that harshness of an attacker is as valuable as the physical moves themselves.
As a mom, the comfort I take away from knowing that whatever Eliza may encounter in college she can handle it. This is a true gift. The verbal techniques we practiced were so real for the young women in the group. It is an invaluable skill for them to be able to be direct and clear so that situations may never escalate into something they cant handle.
I am going to send many of my friends with daughters an email telling them about the program and strongly urging them to make the time to take this course. It is clearly one of the best things I have every done for myself or my daughter.
Fondly,
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