A universal message resonates when we dig deep, clear the cobwebs and take a memory out of darkness. The writer's mission is to disturb, to bring to light what is unsaid. To reveal.The generosity of women writing from the heart is courage and connection in an impersonal world. This was apparent at our Women's Writing Circle yesterday. The writing included stories of religious dogma and its impact on a child's life; a mother's disorder and a daughter's insight into her own journey; a wife's plea to a husband.
In the Circle we discover the safety and energy, the renewal that comes with expressing ourselves in a community of kindred spirits. There are no apologies that what we write might upset. Instead, we are empowered.
Yesterday we held our first read-around of the Women's Writing Circle for the new year. We are a small group meeting in a rather idyllic corner of the Philadelphia suburbs. There is so much wealth and prosperity here, it sometimes feels like living in a bubble in recession-plagued America.
Still, there is poverty and then there is poverty. On a frigid January morning we mined the poverty of discontent and sadness, the joy of lessons learned, the journey of the feminine. This is a journey that cuts across all socio-economic groups. Those willing to take it find wealth of the spirit.
I encourage anyone reading this to start a women's writing group in your community. You'll find the need is out there for a place to gather. You'll find inspiration for your writing, and renewed creative energy. You'll find connection and strength in the generosity of women's stories.
