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An excerpt from HUMMINGBIRD:
From an early age, I have been obsessed with storytelling. As an only child growing up in a hardworking family of Eastern European immigrants, I was often alone and left to fend for myself. During that time, the peace I found in reading and writing which sparked my lifelong passion for memoir writing.
This passion intensified when I was ten and began keeping a journal after my maternal grandmother's death—which, because of our deep connection, was an extremely traumatic loss. Afterward, journaling helped me through
my troubled adolescence as a hippie in the 1960s, my enforced bed rest when pregnant with my three children, my grief over the losses of other loved ones, and my struggles with how to cope with two cancer diagnoses. Journaling has also led to my becoming a published author of numerous books and a writing coach in workshops designed to inspire and help others with their own memoir writing.
My grandmother's spirit often visits me at crucial times in the form of a hummingbird, symbolic of our connection and the sense of joy and comfort she bestowed on me. I take great comfort in such visitations and encourage you to search for a symbolic messenger of your own.
Please feel free to use this book as a guide as you would if attending one of my workshops. In the book, I share examples of memoir writing and tell stories of some of my ancestors and explore my own life in the light of those who have influenced my life, whether they were relatives, mentors or places.
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Examples of reflection/writing prompts from the book:
- Describe what healing methods you have turned to during challenging times.
- Is there intergenerational healing that needs to occur in your family?
