b.read.crumbs : Nurturing

The Connolly deck Empress grabbed my attention the first time I saw it because it’s such a perfect depiction of the spirit and soul of Barbara Mertz a.k.a. Barbara Michaels a.k.a. Elizabeth Peters.

WHAT ABOUT BOB?

Maybe you’ve heard the story of the man (let’s call him Bob) who wasn’t particularly good or particularly bad during his life. Because of that neutrality, Saint Peter allowed Bob to choose his own eternity. Would he prefer Heaven or Hell?

Bob was smart enough to know that nothing is that simple, so he asked to visit both places in order to make a better-informed decision.

First Saint Peter took Bob to Hell, where they were met by a marvelous aroma coming from large pot of soup. Despite what seemed to be a nutritious and delicious meal, all the people sitting around the pot were obviously starving. They were thin and pale, and all of them were frowning. Every one of the people there held a spoon for dipping into the soup, but the spoon handles were so long, no one could get the food into their mouths.

Then Saint Peter took Bob to Heaven. The scene was nearly identical—same soup, same aroma, same crowd of people holding very long spoons—and yet these people were well-fed and happy, chatting and laughing with each other.

It took Bob only a few seconds to spot the difference: in Heaven, the people used their long spoons to feed each other.

The Empress card calls to mind fertility, nourishment, Mother Nature, life, abundance, comfort, and nurturing; she brings forth creativity and makes it a gift to the world. The Empress soothes and calms us when we’re frightened or sad. Her kindness holds the world together.

There are no absolutes, but generally business and commerce are male territory. The female domain is home, garden, hearthside, the making and maintaining of life. By this standard, the relentless assault of marketing ourselves and our work is undeniably male energy. It’s sharp and shrill, it forces itself on the world. It’s a constant grasping for attention and money.

As a target of that energy, you’ve probably felt frustrated, disgusted, and assaulted. I certainly have. It seems like every email, social media post, and snail mail envelope comes with a request for money. Authors need to sell their books, yes. Authors have always been promoters of their work, yes. But can we balance our time between hawking the wares and just feeding someone without expectation of reciprocation?

Words can nourish and soothe. Think of the essays by Mary Oliver, Rick Bragg, and Ann Lamott. They are informative, inspiring, and always kind. These authors and others like them look for light in the world and bring it out to share with the rest of us.

HOW CAN WE NURTURE THE WORLD WITH OUR WRITING?

I’m thinking of ways my writing can give something positive to my community. Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with so far, but I’d love to have your additions to this list.

Offer to write or proofread reports, grant proposals, or other materials for local non-profit organizations.
Volunteer to assemble, edit, and/or send out a newsletter for a group that provides important services.
Offer to write book reviews that your local library can post for their readers.
Instead of buying commercially produced cards or baubles, you can write customized cards, poems, or stories for friends and neighbors.

HOW CAN WE NURTURE AND NOURISH WRITERS?

Readers are the best nourishment for writers, of course. That’s our lifeline and our foundation. Writers can also provide sustenance for other writers, though.

Authors don’t compete with each other. I say it over and over again: no one ever walked into a bookstore (or browsed one online) and thought, “I can buy a book by Author A or a book by Author B.” That’s not how readers operate.

It’s okay to help other writers. We can support each other without losing a thing. Here are a few ways I thought of, but I want to do more. Please offer your suggestions.