Packing and Unpacking

A roundup of precious things I'm taking with me from the last few weeks.

Image generated by AI.

I’ve been slow on my Substack posts lately, but to make up for it, I’m loading lots of goodies into this one!

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Late summer and early fall have been full in the best and busiest sense of the word. In the span of seven weeks, I’ve led or helped facilitate four retreats, collaborated on launching new Story Summit courses, continued building my own programs, and worked on a book that I’m itching to tell you about.

Life at home has been full, too. We’ve welcomed a brand-new great-nephew and been grateful for the health of two family members who are recuperating from heart procedures. And we’ve settled back into the rhythm of visiting with friends and family, following the Kansas City Chiefs, and keeping our summer flowers going in this warm autumn weather.

So today’s post is a collection of moments—things that have made me think, smile, or feel inspired over the past few weeks. Maybe they’ll spark something for you, too.

What We Hold Onto

The box of letters to my dad.

In our most recent We See You, We Hear You session—a monthly Story Summit writing circle for women—the theme was packing and unpacking. Stacey Powells, my co-facilitator, offered this writing prompt:

What’s the thing you can’t let go of?

The first thing that came to mind for me was a box of letters my mom gave me after my dad passed away in 1989. I wrote a story about this many, many years ago for Country Home magazine, but I haven’t done anything about it since. I fact, I really haven’t thought about the letters for quite a while. But when Stacey offered her prompt, there they were.

During the five-minute writing time following Stacey’s prompt, this is what I wrote:

The thing I can’t let go of is a box of letters my mom gave me after my dad died in 1989. It’s a box of letters—not ones that my dad wrote, but ones he received from his parents and 10 brothers and sisters in the 1930s, when he left the family farm in Missouri and went to college, then made a journey by train to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. Census Bureau—an honor so great it was written up in the local newspaper. Local boy makes good.

Those letters. Some were scrawled and others written with perfect penmanship on every kind of paper imaginable....whatever was available. A letter from his mother detailing the number of cars that had passed their house as they sat on the front porch the night before. A letter from his dad lamenting the price of crops. A letter from his sister, following in my father’s footsteps as a one-room schoolteacher, noting how hard it was to teach first-generation immigrant children who couldn’t speak English. A note from another fun-loving sister, who declared life to be “fine as frog’s hair.”

My father wanted to write a book about his life, from horse and buggies to rockets to the moon, but he never got it written. But his early days, his history, is preserved in the letters he received. His history. And my history, too. And I cannot let them go.

It’s a great writing prompt. So what’s your answer? What’s the thing you can’t let go of?

A Meditation for Letting Go and Beginning Again

Earlier this month, I also led my free group coaching session, which happens on the first Wednesday of every month. These gatherings are open to my paid subscribers and Miracles students, and though I don’t record the personal discussions that follow, I do record the guided meditations.

Here’s the one from last week—a few minutes of calm to help you return to center, reconnect, and release whatever you’re ready to let go of:

Friends Creating Light in the World

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been in the company of so many writers, artists, teachers, and talents—and many of them have new projects to share. In fact, one of my favorite things about being part of this creative community is watching friends bring new art into the world—books, music, podcasts, and projects that shine with heart and healing.

Here are several I highly recommend:

• My friend Rita Henry just fulfilled a longtime dream of writing a book, and the result is Because of Amy, a beautiful exploration of love, loss, and awakening. The subtitle is How My Daughter’s Death Gave Me Life (And How Your Pain Can Free You Too), and I promise you’ll be moved by Rita’s story and her wisdom.

• The Weary Ramblers have a new CD dropping on Halloween, with the liveliest and most hauntingly beautiful folk music that’s perfect to listen to on a fall day—or any day. Here’s a short clip of them performing at the closing of the recent Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat, founded by my friend and amazing human being Julie Gammack. Check out the Substack columns by Weary Ramblers Kathryn Severing Fox and Chad Elliott.

• Nicole Baart has a terrific new novel launching in November, a psychological thriller titled Where He Left Me. Also check out Nicole’s Substack: This Stays Here.

• Lyn Liao Butler, who is currently teaching a class for us at Story Summit on the Four Pillars of Storytelling, has a book coming soon: The Deadly Book Club, launching October 21. This is her second release in three months! The other, The Fourth Daughter, is a spellbinding novel and #1 bestseller.

• Lara Love Hardin, wearing her agent’s hat, has a client with a powerful new book that launched earlier this week. Like a Wave We Break, by Jane Chen, has hit #1 already. Full disclosure: I haven’t read this one yet, but knowing Lara’s eye for story, I have no doubt it’s going to be a favorite.

• Tim Murphy and Deganit Nuur’s Imagine: 7 Visualizations for Greater Clarity, Confidence, and Calm, launched last month. It’s an excellent resource for anyone who wants to tap into their intuition and explore their inner power.

• And one of my writing mentees, Lisa Finn, just launched a podcast with her best friend about navigating cancer, which is the topic of her upcoming memoir. Please check out their first podcast of Besties: A Cancer Love Story, and share it with your friends.
  

If the world feels a little too full right now, maybe one of these will offer a moment of calm or inspiration—something to remind you that beauty is still everywhere.

A Note About My InPowerment Course

For those of you who’ve been curious about my InPowerment course, it’s still open for registration!

We’re now in Week 4 of the 12-week journey, but there’s plenty of time to join. When you sign up, I’ll send you the back recordings so you can easily catch up.

This group is turning into something truly special. So far, we’ve explored what InPowerment means—finding your inner strength and guidance—and now we’re diving into what it means to see ourselves as spirit rather than body so you can address health concerns and limitations with a new lens.

The discussions have been heartfelt and profound, and participants are already sharing real, tangible shifts in their lives because of the work we’re doing together.

If you’d like to join us, simply upgrade to a paid subscription, and you’ll start receiving a weekly email with a focus, a story, journaling prompts, action steps, and a guided meditation. Plus you an attend my Tuesday one-hour Zoom discussions of the InPowerment topics.

Hope you’ll join me!

With blessings,

Deb

A NOTE TO MY READERS: I write “A World of Your Own” as a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, which is led by Julie Gammack, of Des Moines. I’m honored to be part of this group, featuring the diverse voices of more than 70 professional writers and journalists across the state of Iowa. I encourage you to check out their columns.