"As women, we have super powers. We are sisters. We are healers. We are mothers.
We are goddess warriors."
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Marie Dandridge
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Greetings!
Other than May being my birthday month, I usually equate it with a time to celebrate women, and in particular, motherhood. Whether you've had a positive or challenging relationship with your mom, it's a good time to honor the woman who gave you life. My own mother is 89 years old, and while motherhood was never her priority, I do thank her not only for giving me life, but also for giving me my first journal, which inspired me to become a writer. My mother also got me my first library card even before I went to school. In fact, our weekly library trips were among the highlights of my childhood. I spent many years resenting the fact that she was not the quintessential mother—baking cookies and waiting for me at home after school to hear my stories, but she did the best she could on her own terms. The truth is that she didn't want to be a mother. When my father, a Holocaust survivor, suggested they consider starting a family, she said that she'd prefer a parakeet. She got her parakeet, but within a week, it flew out the window. My father convinced her to have one child, and luckily my grandmother was available to raise me. Eighteen years later, I also flew out the window. Now that my father is gone and my mother is in an assisted-living facility, I believe she is now grateful for my existence.
As we grow older, we begin to reflect more on our parents' worldviews and values. My grandmother and my mother had a hard time surrendering to the aging process. While I find it somewhat difficult as well, I've learned a lot about myself in the process. In addition to surrounding myself with my loving family and other positive individuals, I've come to realize that my three most cherished values are love, gratitude, and kindness.
What are your most cherished values?
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The Stable
Each Sunday my mother's stable
was the church I attended
always with an apple and carrot
for Lucknow Guy, the favorite
male in her life, standing
eighteen hands high awaiting
the predictable weekly visit.
My mother and he performed
their rituals--him lifting
his front leg, her plopping
the apple in his mouth
and petting his chestnut mane, as
neighboring horses stared in envy.
She then ushered him to the corral
as my chain of sneezes trailed
with me, in spite of the forced
immunity jammed into my upper right arm
two days each week for the second
five years of my life.
I still hate how horses make me feel.
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When you purchase
Writing for Bliss
and its
Companion
for yourself or someone you love, I’ll send you a bonus gift: my Conversation Starters card set. These specially designed cards feature questions you can use to connect with your loved ones through guided conversations, or as writing prompts.
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- Write about your relationship with a female figure, whether it's a mother, aunt, or grandmother.
- May 2nd is National Brothers and Sisters Day. Write about your relationship with a sibling.
- May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. Write about someone you know who has arthritis and how he or she copes with it.
- Write about what you value most in life.
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Writing into Bliss for Mother's Day
Saturday, May 4, 2019
12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m.
Lily of Montecito
Santa Barbara, CA
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Transform Yourself: Writing to Heal
June 8, 2019
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Yoga Soup
Santa Barbara, CA
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Writing a Compelling Memoir
The Santa Barbara Writer's Conference
June 16-21, 2019
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Journaling for Bliss Under the Full Moon
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa / Artist Cottage
Ojai, CA
June 17, 2019
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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Sip. Write. Create.
Margerum Tasting room
Santa Barbara, CA
July 18, 2019
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Details to follow
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Hot off the presses, this sweet book was released in April. This work is a feast for the eyes and a tonic for the soul. While reading, we are gently empowered to “sweetly seek,” and to be grateful for so many aspects of our lives. The book serves as a reminder to always look at the bright side of things. For the most part, Dickey takes us on an uplifting journey.
This book is a beautiful Mother’s Day gift for yourself or for the mother or grandmother in your life. The artwork and inspiring words are meant to be read over and over again for inspiration.
I was honored to have been asked to endorse this book. It's truly a treasure!
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