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Supporting Conscious Parents in Being Peaceful, Real, and Loving
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My Grandmother Made Sock Monkeys |
August, 2013 | |
Hello ,
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We find our internal compass when we connect ourselves to story. We use stories to build the context of our lives, of our belief systems, and of our personalities, and to define who we are and where we belong.
Knowing the stories of my grandmother (she made sock monkeys), my great-grandmother (she spoke 7 languages), and my great-great-grandmother (she died in a field
| when she was gored by a bull) connects me to my physical history. I am a piece of something. I belong. I have a story, too.
Here are two ways it matters.
1) Your children will feel belonging and connection when they feel themselves to be part of a story. You may tell many stories that help them find places to connect and ways to define themselves. The stories of your life, your ancestors' lives, your child's life until now, all matter. You may tell stories of children in history, people who have changed the world, everything from The Little Red Hen to Nelson Mandela. Your child will strengthen or build their internal compass each time a story is found that plucks his or her heart-strings and adds to the spider-web of context that that your child uses to define him or herself.
2) YOU will feel belonging and connection when you feel yourself to be part of a story. You will find layers of connection, weaving understanding and identity from the places that you connect. (I'm going to speak to moms here for a moment, because this email is to draw attention to our upcoming Women's Wellness Circles.) You may relate to stories of your ancestors, male or female. You may find stories of famous or not-so-famous people who deeply inspire you (MLK is one of mine, so is Dr. Maria Montessori). You may explore archetypes, Greek goddesses, myths, legends, and the lives of your friends, and find stories that help you chart your life path. When you pull stories deep into your heart, they affect you.
Here's an example of how...
A few years ago, when I was having one of those long, drawn-out single-mom-entrepreneur-financial-panic-attacks, I came across a note my mother had written me when I was living abroad (Texas? Brazil? Italy?). The note read, "When I was a little girl, we always knew when money was tight, because my mom would take old unmatched socks out of the drawer and start making sock monkeys, which she would sell at the Banff Springs Hotel, where she worked as a chambermaid." I fondly remembered the sock monkey she'd sent, vaguely wondered where it was, and recycled the bit of paper.
The next day, the impact of the story suddenly hit me. My grandmother's husband had died very young, leaving her with 4 older children and a brand new baby. And she had stepped up and found a way to make ends meet on her own. And here I was, financially stretched to the limit, and too proud to make sock monkeys. I burst into tears, ran through the house looking for the sock monkeys my mother had made for me over the years, dug through the recycling to find the note, and immediately sent 10 emails that might open the door to extra income. Within an hour, I had enthusiastic feedback from people who wanted to pay me to do things I love to do. Within a week, I had a plan for making ends meet and a little extra. Within a few months I had paid off several thousand dollars worth of high-interest debt.
My sock monkeys sit in my office now, in places of honour.
Somewhere along the way, I had internalized another web of stories, maybe something about single moms being broke, woven in with something about needing to be rescued, woven in with something about me personally, not being financially capable. I'm not sure where those stories came from, but the power of my grandmother's story continues to inspire me. |
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In our Women's Wellness Circles: Exploring Experiences and Expressions of Motherhood, we will make space for you to explore, share, and write your own story. We will open doors, build intimacy, laugh, cry, epiphany, and contemplate.
I invite you to join us. Details are below.
In joy,
Lisa Kathleen
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Resources
"Stories live in your blood and bones, follow the seasons and light candles on the darkest night - every storyteller knows she or he is also a teacher..." ~ Patti Davis
Come, explore, discover, share your story in Circle.
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Come Connect With Us On Facebook and Twitter!
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Why Women's Wellness Circle?
"It's a space you can come to be fully you - and be supported, encouraged and heard. I've learned so much about myself as a woman and a mother. I take the circle with me and will continue to grow."
~ Jackie Flegel, mother of 2
Go to one of the links below to find out more, or call me at 403-607-1463 for more details or to register by phone.
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Thursday Mornings, Monthly
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Friday Evenings, Monthly
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| Upcoming Events |
Women's Wellness Circles
Exploring Experiences and Expressions of Motherhood
Tuesday Mornings, Monthly, starting in September, Marda Loop, 9:30-11:30 am
OR
Thursday Mornings, Monthly, starting in September, 9-11 am
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Friday Evenings, Monthly, starting in September, 7-9 pm
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