My mother memories that are closest to my heart are the small gentle ones that I have carried over from the days of my childhood. They are not profound, but they have stayed with me through life, and when I am very old, they will still be near. Margaret Sanger, American nurse and activist
I did an interview today with Christine Friberg, the founder and director of She Climbs Mountains (www.sheclimbsmountains.org), an organization serving women and girls who have experienced mother loss through death at any age.
Christine asked me why I chose Tell Your Story as Step One in my book Mom’s Gone, Now What? Ten Steps to Help Daughters Move Forward After Mother Loss. Her organization shares my belief in the importance of story telling.
To answer her question, I quoted from my book, “The willingness to share our story signals a desire to leave a legacy and to turn pain into a message of hope for others.” When we hide our stories out of shame, guilt, or just plain shyness, we deny ourselves and others an opportunity to be our best selves.
Affirmation: I’m willing to share my story.
Coaching questions (from Mom’s Gone, Now What?): If you’ve never shared your full story or haven’t shared it in many years, with whom might you confide? What difference do you think sharing your story will make in your life and the life of the person with whom you’re sharing?
Remembering my mom and I having fun on vacation in Wyoming. Circa 1951.
Life after losing a mother 