Volume IV, Issue 52 December 28, 2015 Word of the Week: goodbye Dear ,
I hope you're having a lovely holiday season, and that you're enjoying the last few days of 2015. Because come Thursday at midnight, it's goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016.
I look at this picture of my husband and me with our two kids and think about all the goodbyes we've had
on their journey to the ages they are now, and how many more there are to come. And I look at our grandson and think about all the goodbyes he has in store—from his first day of kindergarten to his distant move into his first "own place," just like our kids did.
How are you with goodbyes?
They're hard for me much of the time. If they're hard for you, check out this article from a recent issue of The Charlotte Observer that gives some great advice on saying goodbye to a year, and to anything else as well: "Four Tips to Help You End 2015 in a Good Place."
You can also check out a lovely piece by Frederick Buechner on the origin of "goodbye" below, along with a writing prompt and a few class opportunities. And as you wind your way to a brand new year, I wish you the joy of both savoring happy memories and anticipating new delights.
Wishing you all the best in the New Year, Upcoming WordPlay
GIFT OF
MEMOIR Four spots left!
(Writing Personal and Family Stories)
Our life stories are
a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us—they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories—those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as lovely everyday moments
from times past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them.
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead Street, Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN: Thursday mornings, 10:00 a.m. – noon January 7 and 21
February 4 and 18
March 3 and 17
April 7 and 21
May 5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AN UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY, TAUGHT BY WORDPLAY CREATIVE COMRADE WENDY
GILL* THE ARTIST'S WAY: A Spiritual Path
to Higher Creativity (Expanding Our Creativity;
Creating Joy and Fulfillment in Our Lives)
Are you ready to discover the joy of creativity? Using the proven tools and structure of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, this course will spur your imagination and guide your journey toward creative
self-expression.
Our 2-hour sessions include weekly check-ins, hands-on activities, and creativity exercises. The encouragement and support of this small in-person community (what Julia Cameron calls a “creative cluster”) will help you fully experience the power of The Artist’s Way.
COST: $295 for 13 classes, if registered after December 27, 2016 WHERE: Downtown Matthews, NC WHEN: Session A: Thursday mornings, 10 AM – Noon, January 14 –
April 7, 2016 Session B: Thursday evenings, 7 PM – 9 PM, January 14 –
April 7, 2016
TO REGISTER: For more information or to register, please email Wendy directly at Wendy@ProfessionalCommunications.com.
*Wendy H. Gill was a special education teacher for 22 years. One of her greatest joys as an educator was adapting stories, rhymes and songs to engage her students and instill a love of books. She
left full-time teaching in 2000 to create a literacy enrichment program for young children. She is currently a writer, producer, and the owner of Professional Communications, a creative video production agency. Her poems and essays have appeared in a variety of regional and national publications.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WRITER'S WORKSHOP:
Every Picture Tells a Story
Would you enjoy using visual images as writing inspiration? Come learn fun, easy methods to capture treasured family stories and create memorable fiction, memoir, and poetry. A variety of images will be provided; bring your own photos if you like.
WHERE: Plaza Midwood Library. 1623 Central Avenue. Charlotte, NC 28205
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9, from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. COST: Free!
TO REGISTER: To register online,
please visit the Plaza Midwood Library website here. Registration opens January 9th.
More WordPlay opportunities here. WordPlay Featured Writing
An excerpt from Frederick Buechner's Whistling in the Dark
Goodbye
A woman with a scarf over her head hoists her six-year-old up onto the first step of the school bus. "Goodbye," she says.
A father on the phone with his freshman son has just finished bawling him out for his
poor grades. There is mostly silence at the other end of the line. "Well, goodbye," the father says.
When the girl at the airport hears the announcement that her plane is starting to board, she turns to the boy who is seeing her off. " I guess this is goodbye," she says.
The noise of the traffic almost drowns out the sound of the word, but the shape of it lingers on the old man's lips. He tries to look vigorous and resourceful as he holds out his hand to the other old man. "Goodbye." This time they say it so nearly in unison that it makes them both smile.
It was a long while ago that the words God be with you disappeared into the word goodbye, but every now and again some trace of them still glimmers through.
Originally published in Whistling in the
Dark
From https://www.facebook.com/Frederick.Buechner.Center?hc_location=ufiWordPlay Now! Writing
Prompt This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"goodbye."
PROMPT:
Write about a goodbye, either of your own or one of your character's. You may want to start by first making a list of memorable goodbyes, both large
and small.
Then, continue one to write about a "hello" that was an outcome of that "goodbye."
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word
work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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