I stare at a blank screen… what to write? How do I jump back into this blogging world?(and now the screen isn’t blank anymore! Easily amazed!!)
It seems that early May was the last time that I offered a post of personal content… Here’s a taste of what I’ve been up to:
- Facilitated a parenting group which focused on social and emotional development for gifted children, deepening the child-parent bond, and helping your child build self esteem. This group last spring was the first of many more to come in the 2006-2007 school year when my attention will be focused on providing a plethora of opportunities for supporting parents (ideas welcomed)
- Attended a training on Teaching Parenting the Positive Discipline Way, facilitated by Jody McVittie. The great news here is that after this training I proposed that the entire staff at our school be trained in Positive Discipline, thus strengthening the attention already given to social and emotional development and providing a consistent language throughout our community. Our staff training begins on September 1st… yippee!!
- Exploring life with some amazing people in my life coaching and parenting coaching private practice. The word coaching feels aligned with the ways I engage with parents, but I’ve yet to find a word that really names my interactions with individuals. Lately I’ve been seeing it as ‘together we create a relationship that will support you at this time in your life, utilizing my gifts and experience, following your needs and desire for growth.’
- A great deal of time and energy went into being a part of the convening team for Evolutionary Salon 3. My lessons in the arena of collectively facilitating such an event were immense. A central theme that emerged for me during that endeavor has been my dedication to supporting the furthering of evolutionary ways of being together (with an emphasis on authentic being). The 2nd and 3rd salons were also my first experiences of officially opening and holding space for a large group of people. (some photos)
- I deepened my plunge into hosting an Open Space by facilitating an Open Space with third graders on the theme of: “What can we do to make our school a better place? What can we do to make our world a better place?” This was a rites of passage gift to the third graders as I will not be their counselor in 4th grade. We began with a performance from Thomas as he awed the students into the message of following your passion. Thomas and I have been deepening our professional relationship, Woven Essence, and are excitedly exploring the terrain of our joint offerings. Stay tuned for more on that front!
- My dear friend, Christy, celebrated her bat mitzvah which I was blessed to attend (just taking this opportunity to point you to her beautiful d’var talk about her birth portion of the Torah.)
- An exciting new endeavor unfolded through a Girl Geek Summit that I attended in March. Amy Lenzo and I launched, The Beauty Dialouges: An exploration into the essence of beauty and a deepening of our capacity to experience life through the lens of beauty. You can read the story of how these dialogues came to be, explore the notes from our calls, read the blog or join us in the forum.
- I had a wonderful visit with my mom out in Seattle followed by the end of the school year and then adventures with my dad and Cathy coming to visit. It was great to share my life on the west coast with my family.
- While my dad and Cathy were visiting, my close friend and soul sister lost her father and brother in a tragic accident. Right now I am in North Carolina spending a couple of weeks with her in this land my heart calls home, in intimate relation with the currents of life that flow in the space around the intersection where life and death touch our human soul.There’s much that my heart is yearning to share about my current now, but the words are not yet formed. Here’s a taste of my flow from a couple of days ago and I invite you to open your heart and listen so that we can feel each others connection in this moment as I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to connect with you through this easily amazed haven and the connections that link us with one another.
- I return to Seattle next week, Thomas and I will move into our new home whose back yard joins with Carkeek park, and then together we’ll journey back down south for a work/play trip and visit with friends and family.
That’s a taste of my world for you and an eye opener for me regarding all that’s been going on (and all that lives in the spaces between what I’ve shared here). Life really is amazing.