Archive for May, 2009
“Rethinking” Wisdom – What a Concept!
”Rethinking” Wisdom – What a Concept!
I’m adding an ‘R’ of my own – “Rethinking” – after my post of May 20th, “The Moods of Memoir.” In that post, I referenced Faith Popcorn’s 4 Rs as her forecast for 2009. Those trends that people are beginning to assume are as follows:
- “Reclaiming” – We are reclaiming our lives.
- “Retrenching” – We are pulling together and retrenching with “cuddles & hugs.”
- “Resetting” – We are resetting our priorities about what is really important to us – that being intimate family relationships.
- “Reinventing” – We are reinventing who we are and how we want to be in today’s world.
There is evidence all around us that proves Popcorn is correct in her assumptions; we are, indeed, pulling together to look closely at how important our family relationships and value systems are to each of us. I believe “Rethinking” is the granddaddy of them all – or is that grandmommy of them all? After all, it takes “Rethinking” to make “Reclaiming”, “Retrenching”, “Resetting”, and “Reinventing” take place.
“Rethinking” how we view ourselves and our families and realizing how we want to nurture is becoming more and more important to us in an increasingly unstable as society. And, in this context, we ask whether or not there is wisdom in the changes we may make or are we considering change for the sake of change with no tested forethought to the result or consequences? We are now questioning the result of change and measuring its probable outcome against our deepest values and beliefs within the family and even in culture in general. Do we like what we see?
My work as The Story WomanTM has everything to do with “Rethinking” our relationships with our mothers and the importance of female wisdom as daughters and sons are asked to capture the character of their mothers in short memoir. When folks begin this journey to discover her spirit – who she is at her core, they get to “Rethink” the wisdom of their mothers’ actions as well as their own perceptions. The result often provides a fresh view of the situation.
A woman recently added this note when she sent her bio-vignette to me, “I found after writing this story of my mother that my perceptions didn’t change about her, my perceptions about myself changed when I spent more time actually looking at her rather than focusing on myself. Quite a revelation!”
On the other hand, “Rethinking” can reinforce our previous perceptions of ourselves and our loved ones. The wisdom gleaned from looking closely at their character and spirit can be the impetus to (dare I note another ‘Re’?) “Retravel” the age old path in honor of those who walked before us as the nurturers of humanity and the weavers of our destiny.
To paraphrase by friend Marvin’s comments – it is good to see women “Rethinking” and acknowledging the nurturing side of their nature and birthright now that women have gained hard-won choices. There is no reason why an intelligent goal-oriented woman can’t satisfy a career desire from within the structure of a strong family that she holds together with her strength, natural nurturing abilities, and love.
The Story WomanTM asks sons & daughters to write bio-vignettes ”Rethinking” the ancient wisdom of mothers the world over.
Links to Marvin D Wilson and Faith Popcorn
Memorial Day Memoirs by Readers
My mind was blown as he took me back
With tales of men of valor who
Fought with him in World War II.
Pushing forward on the front as comrades fell in blood drenched.
Our freedom a tyrant wanted to take-
But courageous hearts of those who would be free-
Enough to lay down their lives if need be,
They brought down the giant who would have made us his whore.
Let alone to have lived them, he often said with a tear.
Many never made it back to their families and homeland
Some made it back missing arms, legs and hands.
They cried and they died so you and I could be free.
By Marvin D. Wilson
______________________________________
He called me his little Monk because I was so agile-the world was my gymnasium-before the rheumatic fever turned me into a falling-down girl.
Soon we would be skimming the waves, or he would pretend to be a whale by lying on his back and spitting water out of his mouth, straight up. Mom searched for a place to spread our picnic blanket, stopping to pick up pink shells the size of thumbnails and an occasional sand dollar or star fish.
“Major Ribbel.”
By Ann Seymour
Links to blogs: Marvin D. Wilson and Ann Seymour
HONOR OTHERS BY WRITING BIO-VIGNETTES THAT PAY TRIBUTE TO THEIR SOULS
Write a Personal Memoir for a Veteran who Died for our Freedom
Eulogy for a Veteran
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the Gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the mornings hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
Author Unknown
The Story Woman says, “Write a bio-vignette to Honor our sons and daughters who have served our Great Country in the name of Freedom the World over.
The Mood of Memoir in Understanding Who She is…
- “Reclaiming” – We are reclaiming our lives.
- “Retrenching” – We are pulling together and retrenching with “cuddles & hugs.”
- “Resetting” – We are resetting our priorities about what is really important to us – that being intimate family relationships.
- “Reinventing” – We are reinventing who we are and how we want to be in today’s world.
You might say we are in the ‘mood’ to take a good look at the qualities of character and spirit that belong to our mothers and grandmothers – all women who hold significance in our lives in the present and the past – with the hope of gaining a better understanding of whom they are and valuing what makes these women tick. Nothing can quite equal honoring a loved one with a simple memoir that shows some understanding about whom they are at their core. And the need to reinvest in family inspires us to write true tales, bio-vignettes, about our mothers, even if we have never written a story before. By so doing, we are reclaiming basic human needs, desires, and attitudes as we prepare for a future what once again places value on what it really means to be WOMAN.
Links in today’s blog: Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve; CNN
THE STORY WOMAN ASKS DAUGHTERS AND SONS TO WRITE MOTHER MEMOIR WITH PASSION AND EMOTION FOR TELLTALE SOULS.
Organic Mother’s Day Gifts Free!
Be a little snoopy…find her character
…
What can The Story Woman do but offer you food for thought? Stay with me now, I’m going to tell you about something that is enjoyed like the finest wine and savored like the darkest chocolate and it can make Mother’s Day anytime of the year – really. It is a gift that will indulge her sensibilities by honoring her, expand her knowledge base by showing what you remember about her, and support her engaging ways as nothing else could ever do.
You guessed it – give your Mom the gift of story this Mother’s Day by writing a short tale, a mother memoir, that will capture her character and keep her spirit alive as no photograph could ever do. And it’s 100% earth friendly and organic and doesn’t cost a penny.
Everyday Daughters and Sons Write Bio-Vignettes to Honor Mothers Everywhere
