my hero
a couple of months ago i was invited to participate in a project that was very exciting to me. i've always wanted to own a bookstore like meg ryan had in 'you've got mail'. i love book signings, they are like brushes with greatness. i stand in awe of published authors, so this was quite an honor and fulfillment of a dream for me. it is also an honor to be included with a month long list of amazing bloggers. if you haven't been following the tour i recommend clicking the link to read some of the most challenging and inspiring posts (and you'll find lots of new blogging friends to add to your blogroll!)
yesterday renee was at doug ferguson's blog mute troubadour and tomorrow she'll be visiting mike todd at waving or drowning.
here are my questions for renee:
do you have any metaphors you use in your recovery process?
yes, i actually am quite interested in metaphor, mythology and symbolism. it's interesting how the things i need seem to find me.
on my blog, i use the name "iphy" which is short for "iphigeneia." iphigeneia, in greek mythology, is sort of a female version of the biblical isaac story. basically, iphy's father was about to sacrifice her at artemis' request, and at the moment of the intended sacrifice, artemis replaced iphy with a deer and whisked iphigeneia away to a different country. i always felt a connection with isaac in the isaac story, but having a woman who was about to be sacrificed and then spared, that connected even more.
another metaphor that has meant a lot to me is that of the phoenix. it's funny how this metaphor was "given" to me -- many years ago an online friend sent me a beautiful silver phoenix necklace charm. i thought it was beautiful, and held onto the story, but didn't think much more about it. this past year, 2 different people who read my book described my story in terms of the phoenix: karla yaconelli, in her review of it, and phyllis tickle, in the introduction.
a friend and i have what we call "dragon days" -- where we feel like dragons in a cave. i have a beautiful dragon necklace, a "dragon egg," and a "dragon days mix" -- a collection of songs that i put on when i need to feel encouraged.
images are so important to you, can you explain why and how they impact you?
so often i discover that there really aren't words for some of the things that i feel. i love words, and i use them to the extent that i have them, but sometimes i need a lonely picture or a desperate picture or a joyful picture.
i recently got a really great digital camera, and i have discovered part of my heart through photography. i see that my eye captures some of what i feel in images. i went on a retreat to a monastery and took a lot of pictures, i seem to be drawn to stones, water, statues, and icons.
when life is darkest are there any things that keep you hanging on?
when my daughter was born, i made a promise to her (and to me) that she would not grow up motherless, as i did. i remember that, in my darkest days.
who/what inspires you or makes you smile?
my friend larry makes me smile. my daughter makes me smile. the colour green brings me life. my husband reminds me i am loved. i could swim in "sleep" aromatherapy spray from bath & body works. i have the biggest stuffed animal collection in california. my blue lava lamp makes me giggle. i really love scrapbooking, and all the stereotypes that go with that make me laugh out loud. if i'm really in a bad mood, the best thing that will make me happy is my husband saying "uh, ma'am, you've reached the department of redundancy department" (just typing it makes me snicker).
have there been any divine interventions in your life?
yes. grace has taken the form of pelicans, an unexpected phone call, and a lesbian couple who knew the meaning of love.
thank you renee! it's been so fun to follow your tour, i learn more about you at each stop! please keep writing and inspiring us with your words!
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