Storybooks For Healing July Newsletter

"The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective."

-Al Neuharth, author

July, 2010

Storybooks For Healing is a bereavement program which assists individuals in making meaning of their grief and loss using a guided writing program and then publishing a tribute to share and remember.

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Storybooks For Healing

My Storybook Publisher

Greetings!

Welcome to the new Storybooks for Healing newsletter! There have been many changes the past six months at Storybooks For Healing (SFH).

Foremost, SFH has started all new communications to reach you how you like to connect. First, here is the monthly newsletter designed to bring you quick snippets of the fresh, new SFH blog, ideas for writing, program updates and occasional special storybook incentives just for SFH readers. You can also follow and engage in the conversation through the SFH website itself and the new Facebook page. You are encouraged to share your stories any time and on the platform you like the most.

The new logo, with the lotus floating on water, is to represent the importance of reflection - life, grief and meaning - on your personal loss journey. From the palette of nature, green is a recognized healing color, and yellow, found at the center of the lotus is a color of hope. Through our new look, SFH wants to remind you that regardless of where you are along your path, there is opportunity though reflection and sharing to restore joy and wellness to your life.

Reflection: Perspectives

I remember as a young girl going through the library of educational Time/Life books my parents had on the shelf. There was one on the subject of optical illusions. Inside were pages that had illustrations of a never-ending staircase, boxes facing different directions, vase/face and flying birds/sea. The instructions were to look at the picture, name what you saw (such as vase), then to find the opposite (such as face).

>> Read more...

Publishing: The Picture Book

You don't have to be writing your remembrances for a two-year old in order to create a childlike "picture book" enjoyed by all ages. Just use the concept of small storybook using one single photo with large print text on the facing page for a simple and unique approach for telling a story.

>> Here's how...

Today, Storybooks For Healing takes on a new look and a new emphasis on grief reflection. For those of you who are familiar with the previously used "two principals and four sections," you can find comfort knowing that SFH is still the effective eight week Writing Workbook and Facilitator's Guide of discovery, publishing and sharing.

As you know, change is always an adjustment, and that's no different for SFH. I hope you'll find the new SFH direction will continue to be helpful, inspiring and far-reaching. You can be instrumental in making that happen. Share your experience - forward this e-mail to someone who might benefit from SFH, publish your storybook, comment on any of the SFH blog articles, become a guest writer, start a program, or click on the "like" button from Facebook. (Just follow the Quick Links to get started)

You are the SFH community. What you've learned from your grief, and through Storybooks for Healing can help others. Let's connect now and grow SFH together. We need not travel this road alone.

Thank you! I look forward to hearing from you.

Joan Hitchens
Storybooks For Healing