StoryTelling Event
Have you ever met a parent who said, “Everything went just as we planned”? Most likely, you haven’t. Every family has a unique story. In fact, every family has several stories.
This past May 13th, at One Longfellow Square, the MSBC held it’s annual Patchwork of Parenting Storytelling event. I love this event because it is listening to women and to their families. This is education and support, the good work that the MSBC does.
At this year’s event, there was the pleasure of Katie Kirby playing violin as the audience assembled. Raffle tickets were being sold at a good pace; friends were greeting each other with delight. An understanding audience listened and supported these storytellers. It’s a wonderful community event.
Six women in this program bravely described their stories of different situations. Each story was an engrossing ten minutes, though each felt like a rich hour of storytelling.
One point often impresses me when I hear a parent’s story. It is how one statement, a few words, spoken at a crucial time makes a deep impression. One woman described hearing a curt diagnosis, shortly after birth, that her child’s condition meant a shorter life expectancy. Conversely, an EMT told the older child that his mom was a hero and that was deeply gratifying. Seemingly brief, these moments affected how the parents felt. Birth and Parenting are times of profound transition and words influence a parent’s sense of well being. Words should be spoken thoughtfully and listened to carefully.
Every story helps us appreciate a wider view of what parenting requires. I applaud this event of story telling and, just as importantly, story listening.
Policies also have a huge effect on a person and their family in Maine. We are so excited to see Paid Family & Medical Leave (LD1964) here in Maine!
The speakers for Patchwork of Parenting 2023 were (in order of appearance):
Paula Norcott, Taylor Kanzler, Rebecca Brouillette, Dialmarie Silva, Emily Wright, Nicole Galietta
We thank our sponsors who made this event possible:
• Acelleron • Maine Health • Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital • Let’s Go
• Soft Corner Midwifery • Dirigo Pediatric Dentistry • REMedy Pediatric Sleep Coaching
• Maine Mother & Company