We all have them...

Everyone has a Story. Our lives are made up of little stories, chapters, which, put together, make us who we are... make up our constantly unfolding individual Story.

Most of our stories overlap with those of others... each impacting the other in ways ranging from completely unnoticeable to life changing. Some of our stories are private, held deeply within ourselves... sometimes a fear, a challenge, a belief, a memory, a feeling... something we don't share, but which still impacts how we move through our other stories.

Just as each of us differs in many ways, so do our stories. Some of us may be in similar places or situations... but what led us there can vary greatly. Our Story is our own... there is no one Story that is just like another.

All Stories are important and valid... every single one.

When I'm asked to describe myself, I can't help but stumble. General answers are usually all that is expected to a question like that... but in the past number of years, my mind continues after my mouth stops giving the 'expected' answers.

Who am I? I am the accumulation of experiences and my reactions to them, what I've learned from them... of choices and where they have led me... of emotions, judgments, and priorities that impact my choices... and more.

I am a daughter, a mother, a sister, a niece, an aunt, a friend, a lover, a complete stranger...
I am a survivor of a variety of abuses...
I am an artist, a student, a seeker, a (sometimes accidental) teacher...
I have challenges and triumphs...
I am a veteran...
I am less than I will be a year from now... and more than I ever dreamed possible...

Some of the things that have impacted my life, my views, my path, are... great teachers, humor, heartache, learning to survive and the coping skills that come along with that, adoption, love, loss... and so much more.

It's easy to forget, or simply not realize, that we even have a Story... and that others have theirs. We all have 'stuff'. What might seem trivial to one is extremely important and meaningful to another. My 'stuff', my stories, might mean nothing to most... but they are just as critical a part of who I am as another person's stories are to them. I might not understand another person's stories... but I do understand that they are just as important and valid to them as mine are to me.

I've come to realize, though, that we all have far more in common than we might think.

The advancements in technology have brought us closer to together... and kept us more distant at the same time.

Everyone's Story... or stories from within their Story... are valid, important, and so very worth sharing. I'd like to be a part of that sharing...

... So...

I'm extending an invitation... to everyone... to share any part of your Story with me. I would then like to, with individual permission, put those stories together and publish them. Anyone sharing their story with me would retain rights to those stories... and would be asked for input, as well, on the other 'what to do with the completed work' questions. I have never done this before... so it is new to me... and there is much I don't know yet.

What I do know is that the sharing of Stories has such great potential to make a difference... not only for others... but for ourselves, as well.

I am always open to comments, suggestions, criticisms...

If you would be interested, please let me know. Feel free to email me at LS_DAWNB@yahoo.com anytime.

How this evolves will depend on how many would like to be involved. It will unfold as it progresses... and I hope you will join in.

Thank you for reading,
Dawn