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" I believe what we become depend upon what our fathers teach us in odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom."

~ Umberto Eco

My father passed away in 1991, but each day, I feel the power of his spirit. He was a man of wisdom, kindness, and moral behavior. For me, he was a model of all the goodness humanity has to offer. As an immigrant, he worked long hours in the retail business, but he never complained. He was happy to be alive and to be of service. He always looked for the light and ignored the darkness, and he supported all of my endeavors. While for nearly four decades I felt blessed to have him in my life, I realize that there are many others who were not as blessed, but hopefully each one of us has, or had, either a mother, father, or other role mode who inspired us and gave us encouragement. When we don't have loved ones who are behind us, we can either look inward for the inspiration or look outside our immediate circle for a friend or a mentor.

Lately, I've been thinking of our founding fathers and wonder how they'd view our country today. The thought makes me shudder. George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, and others might all be shaking their heads in astonishment.

While June is the month to celebrate fathers, it's also a time to honor the male role models in our lives. I think we should take a moment to acknowledge our founding fathers and their dreams for our country. After all, they were a group of leaders who united the 13 colonies, led our fight for independence from England, and built the framework of government that we know today. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and my fervent hope for our country is that we maintain the founders' mission of greatness, get back on track as a united nation, and understand the importance of effective leadership.

During these pandemic times, it's difficult not to get political, but I think the discussion of morality, which my father and the founding fathers embraced, is a vital part of the discussion.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Creatively Yours,

dianaraab.com

JUNE Writing Prompts

Write a letter to your father or other male figure.
If you're a dad, write about how fatherhood has affected you.
Write about how your work has changed during the lockdown.
Write down what you've learned about yourself during this lockdown.

Recently Published Works

"Finding Your Writing Voice" (article). The Good Men Project. April 23, 2020.

"How Poetry Heals and Connects Us" (article). Wisdom Daily . April 24, 2020.

“A Gratitude Perspective” (article). Adelaide Magazine. April 27, 2020.

"The Pandemic and Dark Moments" (article). Thrive Global. May 1, 2020.

“Honoring Our Mothers and Grandmothers with a Letter” (article). Sixtyandme.

May 6, 2020.

"Nurturing Optimism in a Time of Crisis" (blog). Psychology Today. May 17, 2020.

"Nurturing Optimism in a Time of Crisis" (article). The Good Men Project. May 21, 2020.

Workshops and Events

“Memoir Writing”

Santa Barbara Writers Conference

Sunday, June 14, 2020 to Friday, June 19, 2020

Santa Barbara, CA

Details to follow

To register: Click here

(POSTPONED)

Suggested Readings

Dad's Maybe Book by Tim O'Brien (memoir)

I had the pleasure of meeting Tim O'Brien years ago when he visited my hometown to discuss his classic

book The Things They Carried, which powerfully and sensitively depicted the trials of war. Although it was fiction, most of his readers knew that it was based on his own war experiences.

In contrast, Dad's Maybe Book is a memoir, and an invaluable gift to O'Brien's two sons, whom he had rather late in life. Essentially, this is a 380-page love letter to his boys, and is something they will cherish way after the 73-year-old writer's passing. O'Brien's inspiration for writing this book is that it suddenly occured to him that his sons didn't really know all that he's been through. As he reminds his students, it's important to trust (and share) your own stories. To trust a story, he says, "means to tell it—not to postpone the 'good' parts, not to hint at it or cleverly foreshadow it or offer the reader periodic promises that a glorious tale will soon be coming. To trust a story is to conquer the fear of plunging headfirst into the surprises and contradictions of being human." (p. 24)

Conversation Cards

Conversation Cards for Meaningful Storytelling is a deck of 28 individually designed cards created to facilitate engaging connections with family and friends.

Based on my book Writing for Bliss: A Seven-Step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life , this four-color deck of cards is professionally printed on heavy stock.

Each card deck arrives in a conveniently packaged box. Ideal as a gift for family and friends, these Conversation Cards can be used in a number of ways, such as during family meals, dinner-party storytelling, virtual group chats, personal journaling prompts. and much more!

TO ORDER: Click here