Greetings!

"The more people that have studied different methods of bringing up children, the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all."
~ Benjamin Spock
HAPPY MAY !
The month of May has many of us thinking about Mother's Day. Whether it's a happy day or a challenging one for you, I love the idea of focusing on honoring the sacred feminine and any significant female figures in our lives. I have a deep connection to this month because I was born on Mother's Day, many decades ago! Not only does the month remind me of the divine feminine, but it also helps me remember the importance of self-care and mothering ourselves whenever we can.
After years of infertility struggles, I am grateful to be a mother of three and grandmother of five. Because of my early experiences, my heart and blessings go out to those who experience fertility challenges, and those who have lost children, or mothers whom they loved. I empathize with the way certain holidays have a tendency to provoke our vulnerabilities. I feel this around the time of Father's Day because I miss my dad; he died when I was only 39 years old.
Let's take time to honor the important role of all the women in our lives, whether they're mothers or grandmothers to children or pets. Personally, I was deeply influenced by my grandmother for teaching me to type on her Remington typewriter, as that experience inspired me to write my first poem when I was just eight years old. My first memoir, Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal, was inspired by our close relationship. For decades, I've had a black-and-white photo of my grandmother on my desk. She continues to inspire me even though she died in 1964.
One final note: I love roaming into my local bookstore and looking at themed books. A few weeks ago, I wandered into our local store and landed at the table honoring mothers. Below is what stole my attention. Consider buying a copy for yourself and a woman you love. Happy days to you and yours!
Love and light,
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AN IMAGINARY AFFAIR: POEMS WHISPERED TO NERUDA is now available for pre-order.
(pub date: July 2022)
$14.99
*****
Sample poem
Getting Lost Together
(After 'Lost in the Forest' by Neruda)
I am in the forest where you had been lost, and found
the tree where you pressed my hand to your heart.
I am peaceful now. Grateful for this solitary moment.
And thank my ancestors for ushering me along the way
to you. How we can now let go of so much,
and allow one another in.
*****
Book Review
"...this book is more than a conversation with Neruda's poems. In this book, Diana Raab unveils trauma, desire, her life experience, and her passionate, non-imaginary affair with poetry."
~ Mariano Zaro, author of Decoding Sparrows
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- Write about an unforgettable experience with your mother or a mother figure.
- Write about a time when you had a life-changing experience with a grandparent.
- If you are a mother or grandmother, write a letter to one of your children or grandchildren.
- If you've lost a beloved female figure in your life, consider writing them a letter.
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May 17, 2022
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Podcast with Teri Wellbrook
******
June 28, 2022
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. E.S.T.
"Writing for Bliss: Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life"
Bridgman Public Library
Bridgman, MI
via Zoom
*****
June 30, 2022
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. E.S.T
“Writing Your Memoir: How To Get Started”
Cass District Library
Edwardsburg, MI
via Zoom
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Where the Children Take Us by Zain E. Asher.
This is one of those powerful memoirs which you might not easily be able to put down. Written by the CNN anchor, Zain Asher, she writes with compassion and candor about her life, but more importantly, the strength of her mother raising well-accomplished children, in spite of losing her husband and son in a car accident in Nigeria when the author was five.
As she says this about her mother in her powerful Prologue, "She is also someone who fought with every fiber of her being for her family. She carried us through a staggering tragedy, shielded us from the violence in our neighborhood, and devoted very spare cent to our education. She barely finished high school but taught herself Shakespeare, French and the piano—just so she could teach us. She plastered clippings of Black success stories over our walls to remind us what we could achieve." (p.2)
This anecdote, in and of itself, is inspiring. The entire book is a story demonstrative of resilience and strength. It also offers much hope for those who have endured severe trauma in their lives.
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This book is a collection and weaving of stories and healing modalities of thirteen--a sacred number in each of the Grandmothers' traditions--elders from places such as Oregon, New Mexico, Brazil, Tibet, Alaska, and Africa. If you're like me, and love the power of words and storytelling, this book will feed your soul.
For example, Grandmother Flordemayo teaches us that the way to find balance in our lives is to feel the love and nourishing energy at the heart of the Earth, while moving through the soles of our feet, and invoking the heart of the heavens to move through the crown of our heads. This gesture allows the two energies to meet in the center of our being. (p. 30).
The Grandmothers in the collection believe that we need to return to our inner spirit and the spirit of things around us, especially when at this time when many of us have looked externally to find happiness.
It's refreshing to hear of all the teachings passed down the generations, especially when many of us are hungry for wisdoms, and are no longer able to connect with most of our ancestors.
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Top-selling course!
Write. Heal. Transform:
A Magical Memoir-Writing Course
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An exclusive course!
Therapeutic Writing
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