For all Good Things

Teaching Authors continue our annual Three Weeks of Thanks-Giving series, remembering a teacher who inspired us. I would offer that everyone becomes a teacher, that person who inspires and supports, given the right moment and lesson that needs to be learned. It does sound a lot like Zen, but it’s also life at its best. And sometimes, worse.

I have often written about the power of stories. Stories make up the oldest invitation to the human experience. We have told our stories for over 100,000 years. Not every culture has developed codified laws or written language, but every culture in the history of the world has created myths, legends, fables, and folk tales.

Stories fill us with life’s possibilities, courage and hope. We are the product of all the stories we have heard and lived. Every dynamic character we’ve met along the way becomes intrinsic in our own story. Every plot a revelation to our journey.

And stories show us the way to be more than what we are. They tells us what it means to be human. No perfect by no means.

But Human.

Of course, to any daunting question posed, and any challenge faced, we learn there is no right or wrong answer, nor right or wrong way of moving forward. In the end, it is a lesson about how we see ourselves. Only when we take ownership of our learning does our story grow.

This has been a wretched year for me, after losing my job, then my beloved home, then my health insurance. I’ve had many lessons to learn. But I have also been blessed with many teachers who have inspired and supported me through this challenge. Even when I’ve been a royal pain in the pill.

For Eric, who after all these many, many, many, many years, continues to be my Master Guru.

For Monica, who has shared with me most graciously the poetics of her wisdom and story.

For Cynthia, fellow traveler and companion of space and time and everything wibbly wobbly.

For Bonny, for all things good and right in the world.

For Vera, for all things teddy bears and hugs.

For Harold Underdown and Eileen Robinson, who offered me entry to their wonderful online class, “Revise and Reimagine Your Novel or Chapter Book Webinar.” It has kept my head in the game.

And, for all the Teaching Authors, who are the best of teachers.

Thank you. 

Bobbi Miller