Volume VIII, Issue 18
May 6, 2019
Dear ,
Happy Mother's Day to you, whether or not you are a mother. May is a bittersweet month for me, as it's the month I lost my mother, as well as the month I celebrate her and the other wonderful mothers I am lucky enough to have in my life.
I thought you might enjoy this photo of me near the time of my mother's first Mother's Day with me, along with big sister Mary and big brothers Mike and Tim, back in 1857. as you can see, I was Mother's fourth "bundle of joy."
But I can see from this picture that I was also her "bundle of love." For most of us, nothing can
really replace the love of a mother for her babies. And all of us, at some point or another, will experience the loss of our mother, and perhaps even a child.
Which brings me to today's featured writer, Heather Leavitt, whom I love having as a member of one of my Under Construction classes.
Heather, who has experienced the loss of three children, is an inspiration to me, because she turned this
loss into love. Real, physical, concrete love, in the form of "baby bundles" through an organization she founded, with two other mothers who had lost a child. Their objective, through Baby Bundles is:
To present new and gently used clothing and other baby essentials to underprivileged families in the Charlotte area.
Baby Bundles partners with community agencies and local
hospitals to identify families in financial need who will receive
a bundle of clothing, blankets, books and toys. Our bundle
meets both an emergent need but will last well over the first
year of life, supporting basic clothing needs, promoting an
infant’s brain growth and development, and fostering caregiver
and infant bonding, all of which helps give the newborn a
positive start to life.
In honor of my mom, I made a donation, the day after the anniversary of my losing her. It lightened my heart.
Isn't it remarkable that we have the ability to bundled up our sadness and use it to make the world better for others, and that so many people, like Heather, have modeled this for us?
I hope you'll enjoy Heather's poem about a special blanket that made its way into a baby bundle. And just think, without our ability to "handknit" words into poems and stories, we'd have a much harder time transforming sadness into love.
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
THE SEVEN ENERGIES OF WRITING
ONLINE CLASS BEGINS TUESDAY, MAY I4TH
(A Holistic, Whole Brain Approach, with Accompanying Tools and Strategies To Enhance Creativity, Productivity, and Writing Pleasure)
If you’ve ever had a hard time getting started writing, finishing what you’ve begun, or gotten stuck in the middle (AKA writer’s block), knowing how to engage in the most helpful “energy of writing” for you at each stage of your process—and on any given day—will be a game-changer. In this class, we’ll explore—and practice—the ins, outs, and benefits of all seven
energies of writing. You’ll learn invaluable tools and strategies you’ll use again and again to write with maximum ease and effectiveness. Yes, you can be more productive, creative, and fulfilled, no matter what kind of writing you do or how experienced you are.
WHERE: The comfort of your own home
WHEN: Tuesdays, May 14th and 21st, 2019 from 7:00 until 8:45 p.m.
COST for Workshop and Materials: $67
* For the benefit of participants, an audio recording of the class will be made so that participants are able to listen to parts they miss and/or review material covered at any convenient time and place. These recordings are available, along with all handouts, via private online links.
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To pay online, please click this link to pay through PayPal.
More WordPlay opportunities here.
Heather and one of her precious Baby Bundles recipients
Heather Leavitt is a mother, wife and philanthropist. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism, she had a brief interlude from her love of writing while she worked for MCI on the Bank of America account
for over 10 years. Heather is the Co-Founder of Baby Bundles, a local non-profit that serves low-income families by providing them clothing, books and toys that will support them during that critical first year of an infant’s life. Heather is the mother of three active teenagers now, but while growing her family she lost three children. Baby Bundles is a heartfelt mission that began as a means to turn the grief of
losing a child into something with a positive impact in the community.
Heather participates in Under Construction classes to explore her ideas and develop her voice as a writer.
What Heather says about WordPlay
I learned about Maureen’s classes at a work Holiday party from my husband’s boss’s wife. I was telling her about how much I was enjoying helping my kids with writing homework and she told me I might enjoy Under Construction classes. After my first class I remember calling my mother and telling her, “I found my people.” It's hard to explain to someone outside of this bubble how much satisfaction you can
get when you find the perfect words or when your peers enjoy your piece. My confidence has grown tremendously as a writer. As busy as life gets, I feel so glad I am honoring that part of myself.
Handknit Picasso blanket
Needle, yarn and lots of love
Carefully placed in the donation box
Warehouse volunteers “oooh” and “ahh”
Intricate loops and knots on parade
Talk of the time and skill in such a lovely piece
Blanket mounted
Carefully draped on top
Peeking out of the large green bag
Comfort and joy
The bundle can be heavy
But full of happy surprises too
Mother feels the absence of fear
The warmth of kindness
A sigh of relief
Envelop baby
In woolen hope
Sending her off with what she needs
In Kindergarten now
Such a big girl
Slumbers holding her blanket
Tattered and grey
Traded color for time
Security has its price
Mother to mother
Mother to child
One blanket at a time
Find out more about Baby Bundles here.
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 "bundle."
PROMPT: Write about a "bundle" (real or metaphorical) that brought love, joy, and/or sorrow to someone's life.
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here.
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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