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BOOK GROUPS "A First Aid Kit for Times When Words Are Hard to Come By"
Book
Clubs, Men, Women's, Patient Support and Recovery Groups.
We
live in a world where natural disasters touch us -no matter
where we live. We never know when we'll come get to work or
come home to find an email telling us that someone we know is
facing a crisis.
Whether you are a supporter, survivor or someone who just
wants to know how to use "communications first aid" when
it's needed, why not learn how to respond to real life, in
the caring circle of a book club, men's group, women's
group, church or synagogue study group?
"What if it's time to try something different?"
That's
what Ya Yas Book Club co-founder, Cindy Moran asked her
friends.
Cindy:
"Like most Book Clubs, we'd always read novels. We talked
about the characters, the plot, the meaning of the story. But
then I heard about Healing Conversations, shortly after I went
through some difficult times in my own family, and I thought,
why not try something different?"
Q:
So how did your Book Group decide to try a non-fiction book of
short stories?
Cindy:
"Well some of us were a bit nervous as to how we'd
discuss the book and one member wasn't sure at all, but we
felt we didn't have anything to lose. We decided to open the
evening up to friends, family and even co-workers, as long as
they read the book and were prepared to discuss it."
Q:
So what happened?
Cindy:
" We were amazed! Our group is usually six or seven
women. Nearly 60 people showed up at my house and stayed for
over two hours. It was a night to remember. The women's
husbands and friends were asking why they hadn't been
invited because they were interested in the topic, too.
But we kept it to just women. We picked different topics
covered in the book and
discussed what we had learned from reading the stories,
comparing notes to see what applied in our lives."
Q:
How would you suggest other book or reading groups explore
Healing Conversations?
Cindy:
"We didn't have a reading guide but that didn't
stop us. After all, in the novels we discuss, characters go through difficult times - whether
it's relationships, problems at work, betrayal, loss, the
end of a career, issues with parents, friends, or neighbors.
What shows up in fiction also shows up in our lives. For years,
we've discussed how we
felt about these situations when they happened to characters
in a fiction book, so why not use the true stories and
information in the Healing Conversations to explore real life?"
Q:
Would you recommend Healing Conversations to other groups?
Cindy:
"Absolutely. Even though you think you know one another,
when you respond to the topics and questions raised by the
book, you get to know each other in new ways. And if you're
lucky enough to have Nance drop by - in person or by
phone - she'll put your group at ease in minutes."
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