Volume IX, Issue 51
December 16, 2020
Dear ,
If you've been reading the Word-zine for any length of time, you've no doubt figured out that I'm a big fan of light (and love, too, of course). In fact, "light" was Volume 1, Issue 1's word of the week, back on January 1, 2012. Now, nearly nine years later, it feels like time to feature it again. It is the "season of light," after all. And we are
in such need of it during these dark days. It seems positively providential that we are now being treated to a “Great Conjunction” (also called the “Christmas Star”) as Saturn and Jupiter draw ever nearer to each other in the evening sky, reaching their closest point on December 21st, the winter solstice. (Let NASA
tell you all about it.) 'Tis the season I listen to Handel's Messiah and sing along to "Arise, shine, for thy light is come" and "the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light."
This is also the time of year many of us light our homes, as WordPlayer Kelly Bennett writes in her blog, "Within and Without," regardless of our particular faith traditions.
The outward light from, say, "The Festival of Lights," as the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is often called, can help up to find our inner light.
What a surge of hope and joy I felt when I watched a recent video in
which Kamala Harris answers her husband's question, "And why do you love Hanukkah?" I hope you will take one minute and 20 seconds to watch it. So beautiful. So light-filled. (And if you wish you could learn, for once and for all, in a fun, easy-to-understand way, what Hanukkah is really about, this zany, yet oh-so-clear and informative video by Mayim Bialik
(AKA Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler) is for you!)
Her mention of "tikkun olam" (a Hebrew term that means “restoring the world") reminded me of a beautiful interview between Krista Tippett of "On Being" with Rachel Naomi Remen, a favorite
author of mine, in which Remen likens "tikkun olam" to "heal[ing] the world one heart at a time." That is true light indeed, and so, below, I share an excerpt of this interview as this week's featured writing. I hope it lightens your heart.
Love and light,
Maureen
WordPlay
Opportunities
THE POWER OF INTENTION
As 2021 begins, what do you long for—for yourself, for others, for the world around you? Who would you love to be? What would you love to create?
The words we choose, and use, not only have the power to heal, uplift, and transform, but also to bring new, life-giving habits, perspectives, and creations into being. At the onset of the new year ahead, give yourself the gift of exploring a smorgasbord of playful, profound writing tools and practices that will support, sustain, and empower your—mind, heart, body, and spirit—whatever dreams and goals you’d
love to bring into being.
We’ll meet in community via Zoom for three (3) two-hour sessions of learning, writing, and sharing. We'll also take a peek at what hidden beliefs may be getting in our way.
The Zoom sessions will be from 2:00pm-4:00pm each of the three days:
- Sunday, January 10 from 2:00p-4:00pm,
- Wednesday, January 13 from 2:00pm-4:00pm
- Saturday, January 16 from 2:00pm-4:00pm
In between sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the tools and practices to discover which work best and provide the most value for you.
Tap into the power of intention as you learn to deliberately (and imaginatively) shape your best life, whatever the circumstances.
Please register early as this virtual retreat series is limited to 12 participants.
Register online via the Well of Mercy website here. (All proceeds contribute to the ministry of Well of Mercy, a place near and dear to my heart.)
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I created the process shared in these two books in June of 2002, shortly after my mother died, as a way to mindfully mourn this loss—and celebrate her life. I shared it with a beloved friend, the Reverend Rebecca Taylor, when she lost her father, and she encouraged me to make it available to others. Here it is, in two versions, both of which offer quotes, reflections, prompts, and space to write about your loved one, as well as beautiful photographs by Wendy H. Gill that enhance each part of the process. Either
version makes a thoughtful condolence gift for a friend or family member.
How Do I Say Goodbye? is for those of any faith, with quotes from many different sources to accompany the process. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
Praying You Goodbye is specifically for Christians, with accompanying quotes from Scripture chosen by Reverend Rebecca Taylor. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
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POETRY ROCKS!
Would you like your writing—prose and/or poetry—to be more
graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you.
Expect a good time exploring what makes a poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres.
It would be a joy and an honor to share what rocks about poetry with you. Learn more here.
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET:
- 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday through Friday) to your inbox. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem. Many of them are great for creating prose, too. The tools include:
* a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn
* background information when helpful
* “how-to” directions to create a poem
* an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
* “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
- A PDF document of each tool that you can print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart—this information can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via the web.
WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come.
COST: $45
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email here for instructions. To register for Poetry Rocks! online, click here.
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TAG, I'M IT!
Both the year-long TAG, I'M IT! AND three-month TAG, I'M IT! journals offer—in no more than five to fifteen minutes—a simple way to recap and celebrate
the very best of each day of your life. The practice of writing out your “T’s” (things you’re thankful for), “A’s” (actions you can acknowledge yourself for), and “G’s” (gifts you’re grateful for) is a transformative one, especially combined with the final step, I’M IT!, in which you intentionally choose three do-able, most-important-to-you actions you’ll take the next day.
The TAG, I'M IT! journal grounds you in two important habits: keeping your focus on appreciating and celebrating the good in your life and intentionally accomplishing what matters most to you. You’ll also create a record of
your most meaningful, happiest events and experiences.
Start your journal—or restart, if needed—whenever you like. (Though a new year is a perfect time!)
An introduction with tips and ideas will help you make this practice your own. Soon, you’ll notice that you’re living your days with more joy, presence, purpose, and intention.
Thank you to Maureen Ryan Griffin for creating TAG I’M IT.
TAG, I’M IT is my new best friend. It’s a guided writing journal that helps me sort through the mental travels of my day. And it helps me zero in on the special moments by reflecting, acknowledging, and saying thank you for the invisible gifts collected in my daily journey.
“TAG” gives me joy. And it gives me a sense of peace. It helps me discover the small and large wonders around me.
“TAG” sits on my nightstand – it’s my last conversation of the day. And I feel satisfied when I turn off the light. When I write in my TAG, I’M IT journal, I’m giving myself a gift.
What a treasure!
~ T. D. Taegel
More WordPlay opportunities coming soon.
Stay posted!
I've long been a fan of Krista Tippet and her "On Being" podcasts, and I've been a fan of Rachel Naomi Remen even longer. The conversation between the two of them on "The Difference Between Curing and Healing" is an absolute treasure! You can listen to it and/or read the transcript here. It first aired in 2005, and it's even more timely now.
This excerpt follows a request from Krista Tippett for Rachel Naomi Remen to share the story her grandfather, an orthodox rabbi who was "a flaming mystic and . . . also a magnificent storyteller" told her about when "the holy was broken up" and "flew into sparks at the beginning of things."
"The story of the birthday of the world, yes," Remen replies.
The interview continues:
Dr. Remen: Actually, Krista, this was my fourth birthday present, this story. And if you’d like, I’ll tell it to you.
Ms. Tippett: Yes, do.
Dr. Remen: This is the story of the birthday of the world. In the beginning, there was only the holy darkness, the Ein Sof, the source of life. Then, in the course of history, at a moment in time, this world, the world of a thousand thousand things, emerged from the heart of the holy darkness as a great ray of light. And then, perhaps because this is a Jewish story, there was an accident. [laughs] And the vessels containing the
light of the world, the wholeness of the world, broke. And the wholeness in the world, the light of the world, was scattered into a thousand thousand fragments of light. And they fell into all events and all people, where they remain deeply hidden until this very day.
Now, according to my grandfather, the whole human
race is a response to this accident. We are here because we are born with the capacity to find the hidden light in all events and all people; to lift it up and make it visible once again and, thereby, to restore the innate wholeness of the world. This is a very important story for our times — that we heal the world one heart at a time. This task is called “tikkun olam” in Hebrew, “restoring the world.”
Ms. Tippett: Is there a connection between the story of the sparks and tikkun olam in Jewish tradition? Are they bound together?
Dr. Remen: They’re exactly the same.
Ms. Tippett: I did not know that those two come together.
Dr. Remen: Tikkun olam is the restoration of the world. And this is, of course, a collective task. It involves all people who have ever been born, all people presently alive, all people yet to be born. We are all healers of the world.
And that story opens a sense of possibility. It’s not
about healing the world by making a huge difference. It’s about healing the world that touches you, that’s around you.
Ms. Tippett: The world to which you have proximity.
Dr. Remen: That’s where our power is. Many people feel powerless in today’s situation.
Ms. Tippett: When you use a phrase like that, just out of nowhere, “heal the world,” it sounds like a dream — a nice, sweet ideal, completely impossible.
Dr. Remen: It’s a very old story. It comes from the 14th century. It’s a different way of looking at our power. And I suspect it has a key for us in our present situation, a very important key.
Ms. Tippett: Say some more about that. Think that through for me.
Dr. Remen: Well, I don’t want to talk politics here. I’m not a person who is a political person in the usual sense of that word. But I think that we all feel that we’re not enough to make a difference; that we need to be more, somehow, either wealthier or more educated or, somehow or other, different than the people we are. And according to this story, we are exactly what’s needed. And to just wonder about that a little, what if we were exactly what’s needed? What then?
How would I live if I was exactly what’s needed to heal the world? I think these kinds of questions are very important questions.
Ms. Tippett: And exactly what’s needed is, precisely, the given story of your life.
Dr. Remen: Exactly. People will say, about a story like the story of tikkun olam, the birthday of the world, “Well, how can I make a difference when I’m so wounded, myself? How can I make a difference when I feel so not-enough?” But it’s our very wounds that enable us to make a difference. We are the right people, just as we are.
WordPlay 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 “light.”
PROMPT:
Write about a time you, one of your characters, or someone you know shifted from darkness to light, literally or figuratively, within and/or without.
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 three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, 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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