What: Tracey’s Health and Wealth Retreat
When: February 19
Where: Normandie Keith’s home
For me, 2009 has been a life-changing year. I closed my fashion boutique, Tracey Ross, after 18 years and filed Chapter 7. I have to say that both experiences were quite humbling. It has been a soul-searching and sometimes painful journey, bringing up many emotions—fear, sadness, liberation— all at once.
Given the state of the economy, my integrity was almost all I had left, and even that was up for discussion with some people. When my business closed, I could not ignore the debt I owed to my vendors and be okay with it. That just wouldn’t be me. Instead, I decided to have a party for them.
My dear friend Normandie Keith loved the idea and opened her home for the event. At the party, I was surrounded by those who supported my new path. Yoga goddess Samantha Mehra taught serenity; Billy Merritt made his amazing green superfood drinks; Ryan Patterson, creator of “A Way Inward” retreats, talked about the joy of combining spirituality and adventure; Aradhana Silvermoon and Truth-I Manifest made organic chocolate treats; and Luther Cowden introduced his Meridian Flexibility System (which Dana Torres said was an essential component of her training for the Olympics). I also had Sandi Schroeder doing eyelash extensions and vendors selling beautiful scarves, jewelry, and rugs.
During the party, as friends met friends and we all learned from one another, I realized I was indeed a wealthy woman. Maybe it’s true what John Lennon said, “All you need is love.”
