In February 2020, my fiancé and I had our first sleepover with my 7yr old twin nephews. Every time I’ve spent time with them (other family members are always there) I learn something about myself.

During their time with us, they got to see how we do things, which is a little different to what they’re used to. They did so well, and we squeezed the juice out of every last minute we had with them. So much so, that my brother told us that they were fast asleep within moments of leaving our street.

But what does this have to do with Amazonian women? Well, the reason I’m telling you this is because I want to share an experience I had about the power of energy.

On Friday, not long after it was just us two and the kids, Mat made it clear to the boys that he means what he says. I reckon this is because my family and I have a tendency to repeat ourselves, and talk over one another. So when I step back for a moment, I can see that the boys don’t always take instructions or information seriously. They push limits and they don’t respect boundaries because they’re not usually clear. Mat was telling them, in their terms, what to expect. It was also an opportunity to practice, to be better, myself.

After a great night, we took them to the skate park on Saturday morning, then to the Redcliffe lagoon to cool off. For a change of scenery, we then took them around to the beach which isn’t far at all.

They’d been playing with Mat, joyfully splashing about in the water and laughing as they tried to escape the muddy sand that Mat was throwing in their direction.

Everyone had been going for hours. Scooting, walking, swimming, playing. And they’re twin boys (7yrs old at the time). They were getting hungry and beginning to get on each others’ nerves. One ended up with a stick he found in the water. And the other wanted it. We’ve seen them snatch things from one another, not being respectful of each other. It often results in a fight or one of them complaining to the closest adult. They do it to each other and perpetuate it over and over. Its unkind.

So when it started happening in front of me, I felt an overwhelming sense of ‘not on my watch’ come over me.

I felt myself moving through the water towards them. But the way it happened was like an Amazonian women, emerging powerfully from the thigh high water. Imagine water dripping off me, holding a big stick that looked like a staff. I walked through that water with such intensity that the energy did most of the talking for me. By the time I was next to them, the energy of my zero tolerance was palpable and I simply said ‘stop.’ It was firm. Strong. It was undeniable that I meant it.

Those boys met an energy in me that I’m not sure they’ve ever seen. The infinite moved through me. It was powerful, and it was effective. And I’m confident that it was only possible because I had so much time with them, that I had time to find myself and the aunty I wanted to be.

The squabbling stopped.

I told them why.

And that was it.

That’s not the aunty I will always be. I’m also fun and playful, loving, caring, cheeky, curious and responsive. But if that firm Amazonian-inspired energy is required, she’s there.

I wouldn’t have been able to put this into words, or even recognise what I experienced without the intuition work I’ve done either.