COMFORT: Preparing for Tornadoes

Oklahoma children are afraid of tornadoes.  They should be.  In 2013 Oklahoma had 82 tornadoes across the state.  If you have never experienced a tornado it is difficult to imagine the quiet calm before the storm-the green sky-the sudden wind. The helpless feeling that comes with the realization that once you seek shelter there is nothing you can do but wait. 

An EF5 tornado can have winds up to 300 mph and cause damage spanning more than 2 miles. Healthy fear helps us to pay attention and get to safety.  Too much fear will make every rain cloud a disaster and disrupt living.   As we begin tornado season here in the Midwest parents need to help children manage their fear through knowledge, safety, comfort, and reassurance. 

Oklahoma parents owe a big thank you to Darleen Bailey Beard for finding the words to describe the before, during, and after of a tornado in her book Twister, beautifully illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.  I use Twister in my practice to help anxious children prepare for Oklahoma weather.  Last year I asked a child to summarize what she was learning from counseling “It is up to the grown-ups to help you know when to get to safety; it is up to kids to follow directions and just be kids until it is over.” Well said.

h/t mari farthing 

Author Darleen Bailey Beard was an encouraging speaker at the recent Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.  Conference.  Darleen shared with us that she received a thank you letter from a teacher last year.  The teacher was from Briarwood Elementary in Moore, Oklahoma.   The teacher wrote that on May 20, 2013 she was huddled in her classroom with her students during the deadly EF5 tornado that destroyed much of the town. As the teacher considered how best to reassure the children during the storm she remembered her copy of Twister.  She read to her class and they made shadow puppets on the wall just like the children in the book.  The Weather Channel will be doing a feature (May 19^th tentative air time 8pm) which will include this teacher’s story.  Watch for the listing I am sure it will be educational and inspiring.  A word to the wise: I suggest that parents preview the show rather than watching with children. 

If you live in the Midwest- learn the location of available shelters and educate yourself so you are know how and when to direct your family to safety.  And remember to bring your copy of Twister- it will help with the wait.

Creativity: Playing well with Others

Summer Retreat 2013

Tahlequah, Oklahoma is known for being the Capital of the Cherokee Nation, town of Northeastern State University, and home to Sam and Ella’s Chicken Palace where Carrie Underwood worked as a waitress . . . lesser known is that Tahlequah is a hot spot for creativity.  For me anyway- It is one of the places where I go for creative group play. 

This past weekend six of the nine members of my critique group (The Inklings) gathered to exchange manuscripts and encouragement. If true innovation is the combination of work and play that explains why our group gets so energized when we get together.  The Inklings are diverse in age, stage, background, and writing- AND we accept and enjoy each other.  If you were a chicken in the backyard (no exaggeration) peeking through the window you would have observed  us: reading silently with a critical/compassionate eye, laughing (a lot), giving feedback, taking notes, exchanging recipes and ideas, eating, drinking caffeinated drinks, and collaborating.  In a perfect world for me this would happen more often.  We actually meet once a month for regular critique but about two times a year we have this kind of magical-leisurely-productive-writerly jam session. 

If you are a writer and feeling a wee bit jealous about my weekend fun come join me in May when many of us writers leave our solitary writing cubicles to venture to the annual Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc. (OWFI) conference in OKC.  This conference sparks incredible surges of group creativity, it is also where I met and joined the Inklings. Every year OWFI hosts fabulous author and agent speakers, from Oklahoma to New York City and many states in between- offering a range of genre, topics, perspective, and experience.  The extended time of a weekend allows people to leave their comfort zone and mix and mingle, exchanging ideas and business cards, and igniting that creative mojo. 

Whether you are interested in increasing your creativity in the kitchen, with your children, or at work- don’t skip the step about playing with others  . . . look for a class, conference, or PTO task force to meet people who  share your passion, and develop those relationships while you  nurture your creative spirit. 

Want to read more about creativity in Oklahoma? Please check out Oklahoma Women Bloggers.  This month they are all about "start" and I am one of the featured writers.