NEAR-DIVORCE EXPERIENCE
John and Deepa teaching in turns
On a typical middle-of-February snow-covered morning, the Minnesota Chapter of WFWP hosted a special presentation on marriage and family. Mrs. Jeannette Henry, local WFWP chairwoman, presented an introduction and explained the significance and mission of WFWP, emphasizing marriage and family.
The main speakers, Dr. John Souza and Mrs. Deepa Ram-Souza, are family and marriage therapists who specialize in sociocultural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal issues. They gave a heartfelt presentation of their real-life experiences as husband and wife, discussing how marriages can achieve equality, how to deal with conflict, the importance of self-awareness, and how to grow as a couple.They spoke from experience and also from their training as psychotherapists.
Launching their presentation, they told the story of how they met, which was remarkable!
While they were attending the same graduate school, John dialed a wrong number that just happened to be Deepa's. As they spoke, they took turns, each building on what the other said.
They call their main theory the "Near-Divorce Experience," or NDE. It is a model composed of three "lenses" that, if observed, can save a relationship, even one on the verge of divorce. The three lenses are the interpersonal, the intrapersonal, and the social-cultural.
John and Deepa explained how they personally had experienced the NDE. Their presentation was valuable because it gave advice for how to deal with conflict, how to grow as an individual, and how to develop as a couple. Their model is to teach each partner the practices and habits that help marriage become a successful "happily ever after."
Deepa and her student dancing
After their presentation, we formed three groups to discuss and share how we could implement the values we just learned. Such a discussion brought the message home on a very personal level and gave us tools to take home with us.
During lunch, the New River Choir sang beautifully and moved our hearts. Afterward, Deepa shared her love for dance and treated us to a stunning performance. She and a student of hers performed a fusion piece -- a special dance she called the FyreSnake.
Her dances include classical Indian, modern Indian, Latin influence, and Tribal Fusion belly dance. The message is simple: Equally appreciate and respect the mind, body, and spirit of all human beings through "love and light."
Then, to our delight, we were all invited to stand up and join her for a lesson in Indian and Tribal Fusion belly dancing! We enjoyed that very much.
WFWP then invited all the attendees to join in a Bridge of Peace Ceremony, which will take place April 26.
