Extra-ordinary Women

I have been privileged this week to hear some amazing life-stories told by three equally amazing women. It is very humbling to hear the enormity and extremes of behaviour and abuse that these women have endured. Despite all that has happened to them they have survived. In fact they have more than survived - they are conmpassionate, caring individuals with a strong sense of humour in tact, faith and a startling honesty. They are symbols of hope and of what can be achieved in the darkest of circumstances. To all appearances they are just 'ordinary' women - how on earth do we recognise and celebrate how 'extra-ordinary' they actually are?

Stories

Following on from how to describe myself comes the dilemma of when do you tell someone new in you life your story? We all have stories they are the things that shape who we are. As we get older we have more complex stories. But when you are privileged and lucky enough to make new friends where do you start? They take you as what they see in front of them, without knowing what or who has made you what you are. The people who are currently in our lives are their to see and tell their own stories.

This became clear to me this week talking to a new friend, someone I've known for a while now but we realised that I didn't know her background or she mine. Maybe it is just a natural part of any new friendship - learning about each others likes and dislikes, their friends and families and their stories is all just part of it. It comes out bit by bit not in one huge lump, you don't have to swallow it whole in one go.

I think the thing that makes it poignant is that for me my story includes another person, and many of the friends I have today didn't know him. So it can be hard to talk about him sometimes because there is no shared experience or memory. I suppose it becomes like reading about a character in a book - so its up to me to make my descriptions and reminisences more real to make the character come alive. When you read a book you expect to experience laughter and tears and life is the same.

Descriptions

Why is is so difficult to write a description of yourself? I sat down to write mine for this blog and stared at an empty sheet of paper. Nothing to say? Surely not, usually shutting me up is the problem. Its just that how do you describe yourself - are you too honest or too kind? Will people actually recognise me from my description ? Do friends see us in the same way that we see ourselves? I find myself almost embarrased to try and describe myself and conscious of the fact that maybe I don't really know who I am or that how I want to describe myself is how I want to be not how I am. So for now my description is just a list of the things I know I am and when inspiration strikes me I'll change it to something more like me.

Beginning

New beginnings are always exciting and scary....including this one. Inspired by others (not least tinypoppet and Jess) I've decided to start a blog. So here goes