Next Wednesday, the writing group will start another 8 week session. I never am sure who will come but some of the writers that started 6 years ago will be there plus two new people I have heard from who are bravely starting something new.
I recall the first meeting : who will come? Will I be sitting here alone in the room? Who am I to do this?
Some snippets from the first 5 years:
... a smiling woman I had never met walks through the door. She glows. She exudes God's love. She will be there this time again and she will help me.
...our website blog keeps us connected through the sessions. I learned how to put it together because my daughter gave me a birthday gift of a day long session with a website guru. It felt like first grade again. Will they like an old lady? My daughter and my husband walked me to my class downtown and we had lunch after. I remember feeling so happy to have done this and to be with them.
...we have a volunteer who sends out caring notes to absent members just to let them knowing we are missing them. She will soon start a book exchange in the group. A brand new idea !
...we have four distant writers from as far away as South Africa, India and Texas who will read the assignment, send their story by e-mail , have it shared in the group and get feedback. They are part of us. Amazing.
These are the gifts we offer to each other: uninterrupted listening, only positive feedback, total acceptance with no judgement. Those words warm my heart.
Not everything offered as a writing assignment is greeted with wide open arms. The day we began writing haiku, the groans were heard in Atlanta." I can't write poetry." "What, only 15 syllables?" "We're going outside?" Now, some of those same resistors think in haiku and offer them as gifts to friends. Wonderful.
I could write forever about this experience, this writing group, given as a gift from God's hands to a person who was not a published author but who loved writing. Who saw the value of gaining clarity by putting it on paper. Soon, I will sit again with people who will write about a miniature orchestra at the beach led by a crab with a baton. Or a grandma who made biscuits and saved a life. Or a whistle that reminds one of a Papa who played music through his fingers. Who can put a price on this ?
2 comments:
I did not forget the nudge to visit here...what an amazing story...I giggle with every paragraph...truth abounding in every episode...now, you will have to share your new website knowledge with us. And I will take the time to re-blog (re-type) your story on my site so the world will know your passion for writing and inspiring others to do the same...praise the Lord who is absolutely good! Bravo! ma Cherie!
Many thanks for reading and I am sure you recognized yourself, my rock,,,,love me
Post a Comment