The Story Woman Story Salon Sizzles with Emotion

Three fabulous firsts…

#1:  Last Friday night “The Story Woman^TM Story Salon” was launched in Boise, Idaho. It was an overwhelming success in every way.

There were fifteen of us ‘ordinary’ women who came together in my sister Dana’s  living room to listen to true tales, bio-vignettes, that were written by a wide variety of daughters to capture the character of their mothers’ from my collection, TellTale Souls: Keeping Spirits Alive One Story at a Time. The evening went beyond my (our) expectations and beyond the meaning of profound in so many ways. I don’t know if the following words do it justice, but it was truly:

• Inspiring
• Intimate
• Connecting
• Emotional
• Educational
• Supportive
• Bonding
• Passion filled

These ‘Wonderful Women’ (as I call them – I know, rather a lame name, but they were simply wonderful) won’t let it end, nor should they! They plan to continue on this journey of discovery we started on April 17^th by meeting once a month to work on their stories, be there for each other, and read other inspiring works. They realized this isn’t a writer’s group or a book club; it is a “Salon.” I was pleased they felt what I felt and that the name I’d chosen fit. Regrettably I may only have the opportunity to be with them once a year or so, since I live in Northern California.

This pioneer group consisted of highly educated women: teachers, entrepreneurs, real estate brokers, administrators, and managers, who came without preconceived ideas about what the evening would bring since it was the first The Story Woman^TM Story Salon. What could I say but, “Try it, you’ll like it!” My sister was a little nervous when I told her the evening would just evolve – it would take on a life of its own – she’s now a believer. Thanks, Dana, for believing in me.

One woman said, “I should have gotten up and e-mailed you at midnight (or called since you were probably still up) or I should have e-mailed you at 2:20 while I was awake, or at 4:05, or 5:30. I know I slept last night but I kept waking up and thinking and remembering. I just want you both to know what a profoundly meaningful experience last night was for me. In order to move forward all those years ago, I slammed a lot of doors….I suspect that behind those doors, some of which are still closed, lurk many memories I’m still not in touch with.  Knowing that there are ALL these women willing to talk about their mothers, both in glowing and painful terms, gave me permission as well as a frame of reference to think about and interpret many of the things I’ve not really revisited….  Anyway, in haste, a HUGE thank you to you and Lynn for getting me started down this path. I love you both.”

Another said, “Thanks for such a memorable and thought provoking experience…. I’ve thought so much about what was said, felt and rather magically shared.  THOSE MOMENTS WHEN SOMEBODY GETS SOMETHING RIGHT.  EXACTLY RIGHT, THE RAREST EVENT. That is how I felt when each grandchild was born and was perfect, with my daughter-mother, healthy and so happy.  You got it exactly right!”

#2:  The next Monday morning was another first for me, as a guest speaker, for this age group, when I gave Mrs. Brooke Roy’s Rocky Mountain High School Junior English class a 1 ½ hour lesson on how-to write a “Mother Memoir.” How to show, not tell.

What a terrific group of young women and men. My presentations are based on interaction, and they rose to the occasion with insightful, interesting input to my questions and to what they heard in the few stories I read to them, which were written by daughters and granddaughters in the TellTale Souls Collection. I believe they understood that in the “Mother Memoirs” I’m looking for, they are not writing about themselves, but writing to capture the character of someone other than themselves. I saw a silent, bashful tear or two caressing a cheek now and then, but certainly didn’t draw attention to those so drawn in.

I’m looking forward to reading their stories, since their assignment was to write a bio-vignette about a woman who has significant influence in their lives – mom or grandma, a mentor, a teacher, a coach…

I decided to create a contest whereby their teacher and I will choose the three best stories out of the thirty-six that they will hand in by Mother’s Day to complete their English class assignment. The contest winners’ stories will be published on my website and, moreover, considered for publication in the next TellTale Souls collection, with parental permission, of course.

It was interesting for me to note that Mrs. Roy had a second agenda, unbeknown to me: the students were to use what they’d learned from my presentation to help them write their personal statement for their college entrance applications! I took that as frosting on the cake.

#3:  Several women in the Friday night group, by Saturday (yes, the next day) had sent emails to me and called my sister saying they really wish their daughters or daughters-in-law could have the opportunity to engage in The Story Woman^TM Story Salon, and did I think that might be possible? Who could say no time for that! So my couple days of hopeful hanging out, went by the way side to make room for the daughters.

I think we had fourteen in the daughter group on Tuesday evening, plus a couple of their mothers, but only those mothers whom the daughters invited. This was another memorable 1^st, which I’m thankful for. And I loved the way they took the evening in – they seemed to take things a little differently than their mothers had a few days prior.

The daughters, at least on this initial gathering, enjoyed stories about all the mother figures, but really zeroed in on stories about grandmothers when they shared memories filled with passion that came up for them during the evening, which was poignant and fitting. What I gleaned from their remarks is that for some of the younger women it takes a little longer to detach or find distance between themselves and their mothers. Therefore, they were eager to talk and think about writing their “Mother Memoir” about grandmother. I wonder if gaining some years makes it easier for daughters to see their mothers as individuals or is it that they are reluctant to give her space of her own, since they still need her to be a part of them?

The daughters were an interesting group – some married, some not, some young mothers, some with no children, at least for now. They were coaches, teachers, hair stylists, physician assistants, and bartenders, to name a few professions.  We also had a seven-year-old in the group who admitted she was kind of board with the evening, but was a doll and held up my Gift of Story guide book in a photo taken late that night, which I didn’t know she had done until I saw the picture the next day.

Speaking of pictures, we had hours of time for photo ops on all three occasions, but I didn’t even think of it until this last evening, and by then several women had already left to go home to nurse their babies. At least I have one to show you that includes several of the women on this third and last evening.

This is all for now, but they’ll resurface on my blog from time to time.

~ Daughters and sons write bio-vignettes capturing their Mothers’ character ~