Greetings,

When our Black lab Hondo died on the ranch more than 20 years ago, it took me a year before I could put pen to paper and write about his death. Eventually, the story "Hondo" appeared in my memoir In Search of Kinship, was published in Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul, and Reader's Digest  bought an expanded version. But for the year following Hondo's death my energy tunneled downward, toward the roots of this love and sorrow. These were the same roots that fed my creative energy but I was unable to tap into and source their strength.

A few days ago, John and I planted two aspen trees given to us in memory of his son Trevour, who passed away unexpectedly in May. When the nursery suggested we use root stimulator to help the trees establish themselves before winter arrived, I realized that John and I had been trying to do the same thing all summer - establish ourselves in a landscape of premature loss and grief.  Trevour was only 27, a forestry student at Salish Kootenai Tribal College near Flathead Lake in Montana.  We hope to celebrate the birth of his daughter in a few weeks.  What a bittersweet joy.

   

For a writer, every moment we engage with life's daily demands is a challenge because being fully awake pulls us from our dreamstorming. Unlike brainstorming, dreamstorming, according to Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer prize-winning author of From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction, is where stories are born.  It is where "the sensual imagery of our unconscious" lies.  When I finally wrote about the weekend that we spent with Hondo as he lay dying, the story poured forth in living, detailed color. Each moment resurfaced, each emotion re-awakened on the page.  I had tapped into the roots of my sorrow and rediscovered a soil rich with latent creativity.  This fall, let's be "Awake in the World" and dream our stories back into being and celebrate their births.
 

Blessings,

Page 

P.S. Scroll down to read about Debra Moffit's book, Awake in the World.

On November 5th, I'm leading a one-day writing workshop, THE YEARNING FACTOR, inspired by From Where You Dream.  Venue is Mount Vernon Country Club just west of Denver, Colorado.  Includes continental breakfast and catered luncheon.  $95.00.  Limit 10 people. Workshop Details Here.                    

                                                                                               Photos by John Gritts.

FEATURED WRITER'S WORK

AWAKE IN THE WORLD by Debra Moffitt

108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life

Debra's beautiful book was released this May.  I should have turned to it daily for solace after Trevour's death, but didn't. Now, it's wisdom is calling to me, and I want to share it with all of you.  You will find simple exercises, inspired by wisdom traditions around the globe, organized into organic, intuitive sections.  Debra writes about dreams, creativity, sacred space, divine wines, architecture, travel, labyrinths, pilgrimages, mandalas, Native American wisdom, and meaningful travel.   Her work has also been broadcast globally by BBC World Services and she is a sought-after speaker. Learn more about Debra.