my first story

okay, i've finally got a bit of time to maybe put this out here. sorry i haven't done it sooner, i've been helping a friend launch a new initiative for the university and trying to get my immigration status in order.

it was amazing! i really enjoyed it. as i told hope today i realized as i saw the women listen and react to the story why jesus told stories. it just kind of hovers out there and floats - instead of facts and proof, opinions and reproof - this allowed each woman to enter into the space the story created and receive it in her own way. it was beautiful. parker palmer calls it 'telling the truth, but telling it slant'.

the story i wrote had to do with the garden metaphor "what flower are you?" that we've done here on my blog for the past couple of springs. it inspired my story of the giant sunflower who thought she was supposed to be a rose. it is my story - but told in such a way that it was actually interesting! HA!

i'm hoping to give it a lot more detail and see if it has any legs in the publishing world.

after i told the story we had a time of silent reflection so each woman could begin to think on her own story and her own flower.

the woman who invited me to speak came up after the place erupted like popcorn with each woman talking about her own experience and told me of how excited she was because she saw how this really got each woman thinking of her own place in the community (garden) and how far reaching this would be for the group. it was very validating and i really enjoyed it all.

hopefully i'll have a bit more clarity the next time and i maybe won't be so tied up before hand. all in all it was an terrific opportunity and i can't wait to do it again!