Dear Grandmother Collective.org
It is somewhat serendipitous that I found you. I had finally made my decision. It was time to transition from 20 years as a nurse entrepreneur and identify as a writer and a storyteller. Just a few months away from the five-year mark as a breast cancer survivor, I am ready to be a thriver! Big changes mean big decisions. What personal and professional resources and skills could I call up to move into this new and exciting future? Besides being a septuagenarian and a nurse, I was also a mother, grandmother and a great grandmother. Surely those experiences would be valuable resources. I would need to learn the craft of storytelling and creative writing. I would be free to explore new genres, like STEM fiction for young adults, historical fiction, and share legacy stories that have accumulated over my life and career.
I felt like I hit the jackpot when I discovered the Grandmother Collective website and learned about the changing image of grandmothers.
I never knew my grandmothers. One died in childbirth with her fourth child and the other died of complications of a stroke before I was born. Today improved healthcare has extended life spans and allowed our elder years to be more vibrant and productive. At the same time grandmothers have stepped up to provide childcare so their daughters could take jobs to supplement the family income or pursue their life mission. After the grandchildren are grown, many grandmothers like me still have more future to fill. They go back to college, pursue another career opportunity and revive abandoned pastimes.
It was refreshing to learn that grandmothers are now being recognized as a valuable resource to communities. In times of stress or instability grandmothers draw on their life experience and add perspective to problem-solving. They provide cultural continuity, advice and spiritual guidance.
Through my work in 7 countries on 5 continents, I learned that grandmothers can be a powerful force for building community, addressing societal challenges and advocating for the environment, the education of children, and human rights. Grandmothers are the keepers of the culture, and their power is usually demonstrated through oral storytelling and writing.
Turning 75 this year, I was ready for another big change. My next chapter needed to be more than a bucket list. It would be bigger than a career change, rather a life change. I wanted to join the ranks as a changemaker.
I found relevance and encouragement through The Grandmother Collective. It is more than just a collection of grandmothers. Your mission to project a more realistic and positive image of grandmothers, is important. I like this “movement” and the people I’ve met. I feel valued for my life experience and evolved wisdom.
Not everyone in the Grandmother Collective has birthed children. Some are “aunties” or anthropologists from agencies or organizations which serve older women. We don’t share political views, religious beliefs or our grandkids’ newest sports trophies. We are serious older women who have “been around the block” a few times and have valuable lessons to share or ambitions to pursue. We celebrate our grandchildren and ambitiously look for ways to make the world a better place for them.
I joined the monthly coffee chats and quarterly visioning sessions on Zoom. It is inspiring to hear what other courageous women are doing, saying and organizing in the intercity and in other countries. Some grandmothers must get up in the wee hours to participate in the Zoom sessions. Their commitment inspires me.
I discovered there were others who were interested in writing their stories. One thing led to another and now I lead a writing group of grandmothers. We call ourselves The Wabi Sabi Writers in honor of the lifestyle that values simplicity and more than tolerates imperfection. No pressure – our writing can be perfectly imperfect and worthy of sharing with the world. I also attend the monthly Storyteller Circle where the ancient art of oral storytelling is kept alive. I am so grateful for the opportunities you provide, the connections you facilitate and the recognition of grandmothers as a dynamic force in addressing the issues of our world. I feel like we share the power to change the world in small but meaningful ways. My grandchildren and their grandchildren will surely benefit.
I also write for a neighborhood magazine. This allows me to connect with neighbors as I help them share their unique stories.
Like other modern grandmothers, I am a changemaker!
Sincerely,
Nancy Haberstich