Adoption Class: The Room Surrounded by Kleenex & The Search for Our Queen

Casey and I were one of the first couples to enter the room and everywhere we looked there were boxes of Kleenex.

I had grabbed a few of my own tissues before walking out the door.

I knew it was going to be emotional for these two days of the Adoption Education Seminar.

As other couples filed their way into the room, I quietly watched them.

I wondered, "What was their story?"

I knew ours.

On May 19th, 2009, Casey and I would be married for eight years. No children.

We went to doctors to be tested. Was it because of me? Was it because of Casey? Was there any reason?

The doctors had nothing to say to us. To them, we seemed fine.

I almost wished there was something said because then there would be an opportunity to fix it.

We had wanted kids since the beginning so eight years seemed like an eternity.

While at the home of Casey's parents, his father mentioned adoption and how some little one may be waiting for us through that way.

Something burned within me.

On the drive home, I told Casey. He said he felt it, too.

Yes, we had heard the stories of people who became pregnant once they started the adoption process. That was not the reason we started it.

We felt that regardless of how we had children--even if we became pregnant along the way--that we would still pursue the adoption process.

So here we were--at this two-day Adoption Education Seminar.

Many things were shared. Many things were learned.

Every so often I flashed to the Colombian story The Gardener's Wife.

In this story you have two women who desperately want to have children: the Gardener's Wife and the Queen.

The Queen is able to have children but, unbeknown to her, the two jealous older sisters, act as midwives and switch her children for either a dog, a cat, or a stick.

Every time the Queen must confront the King. What must he think.

But the Queen never says anything. Instead, her emotions are revealed through a sigh, a grieving groan, or a silent tear.

The Queen does not know that somewhere beyond the boundaries of her kingdom is where her children have been placed. Or at least placed as to how the Winding River carried the floating wooden boxes.

These boxes come--one by one--when the Gardener's Wife is in her deepest despair. She and her husband see these babes as blessings from above.

It was meant to be.

It was a gift.

Warmth and love returns to the heart of the Gardener's Wife. Not that she was cold and unfeeling before, but a certain side of her was unable to function until this moment.

Meanwhile, the Queen is in despair. How could she have these children and yet not have them? What curse had come upon her? When would she have the family she so desired?

Then, as can only happen as time passes, the Queen sees the beautiful garden kept by the Wife. She sees the oldest child. Her child. Something stirs inside her but she does not understand. . .that she is looking upon her own child.

Though, the Queen is filled with a burning. She feels three things are missing and ask the Gardener's Wife if her three children could go on a quest for these things.

More adventures happen but it is not until the quest is achieved that the Queen returns to the home of the Gardener's Wife. The two mothers realize that the three children are their children.

The mother who brought them in to the world and the mother who taught them how to live in the world were together.

And the children loved them both.

Then I thought to my life.

Somewhere was a Queen--the birth mother--for the child we wish to have in our home.

The Adoption Education Seminar shared how there was a time when the process is "my baby" to "our baby" to "your baby".

My eyes were opened more so to this process when we had the Birth Mother Panel. This was a part that was open to our family and friends.

I was thrilled--and tears formed--when Casey's parents were there along with three of my sisters-in-law with spouses.

Then, Holly Robison was there.

Holly would harmonize during the telling of The Gardener's Wife and it was special for her to be there. We both thought of the story as we heard the moving stories from the birth mothers.

We hugged.

Then I turned to my husband.

We knew that out there was the Queen, our Queen.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"The Changeling": French Scenes technique

It was time to develop the French Scenes for "The Changeling", as this technique guided me in the telling of the stories "The Gardener's Wife" and "Forsaken Brother".

Joanna Huffaker, my story buddy, was ready to delve into this adventure.

Basic concept of French Scenes (review):
French Scenes are main events of the story that begin with one or more key characters enter the scene and ends when one or more key characters exit the scene. Between entrances and exits are developments to the story whether in understanding the environment, revealing character, and forwarding the plot.

French Scenes tend to be divided into 5 parts though I could have as many as 32+ parts for a complicated story.

Here are the French Scenes for this Irish story--
Scene 1:
Enter Mrs. Sullivan with Baby
Exit Neighbors

Environment--

• Church--quiet, solemn, whispers, playing of hymns
• Market--buzz, vying for attention for different wares
• Bridge--over turbulent waters
• Green grass, blue skies, a couple clouds, sun
• Occasional livestock--cows and sheep

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--proud mama, bubbling, anxious to show baby, animated, high-spirited
• Baby--calm, happy, quiet, mild, serene (at this time he has bright-blue eyes, smooth skin, and tiny/delicate hands)
• 1st Neighbor found at Church--congratulatory towards Mrs. Sullivan then turns to worry
• 2nd Neighbor found at Market--annoyed and preoccupied
• 3rd Neighbor found at Bridge--spiteful, jealous, harsh

Moving Plot Forward--

• Bragging of Baby
• Attracts attention of Fairies
• Introduces Neighbors

Scene 2:
Enter Neighbors (Verbal Abuse--3 times)
Exit Neighbors

Environment--

• Church--quiet, solemn, whispers, playing of hymns
• Market--buzz, vying for attention for different wares
• Bridge--over turbulent waters

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--untroubled, unflappable, imperturbable which then turns to astonishment
• 1st Neighbor found at Church--worry, concern, troubled, sincere
• 2nd Neighbor found at Market--distracted, preoccupied, bothered, irritable
  
• 3rd Neighbor found at Bridge--spiteful, catty, ill-natured, grumpy, sulky, bitter

Moving Plot Forward--

• Neighbors give warnings
• Mrs. Sullivan does not listen
• Verbal Abuse emphasized

Scene 3:
Enter Changeling
Exit Mrs. Sullivan

Environment--

• Home--thatched roof, mostly made of white stone, rural, small windows, wooden table and chairs, bits of straw on the floor

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--alarmed, senses something, attempts to be calm and collected (which is a different personality for her)
• Changeling--loud, obnoxious, messy, impish, wails (at this time he has dull and lifeless eyes, wrinkled skin, and hands like talons)
• Home--eerie, feels cooler, too quiet and contrasts with the Changeling

Moving Plot Forward--

• Switch of the Baby for the Changeling is made by the Fairies
• Mrs. Sullivan needs to get the Baby back

Scene 4:
Enter Neighbors (Physical Abuse--3 times)
Exit Neighbors

Environment--

• Church--quiet, solemn, whispers, playing of hymns
• Market--buzz, vying for attention for different wares
• Bridge--over turbulent waters

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--urgency, wild-eyed, horrified when hears answers from Neighbors
• 1st Neighbor found at Church--sincere, slightly offended to be ignored the first time (suggests Changeling put out in elements/snow)
• 2nd Neighbor found at Market--exasperated, gives more time to Mrs. Sullivan so not bothered again (suggests to burn nose of Changeling)
  
• 3rd Neighbor found at Bridge--rough, on edge, rude, sarcastic, has "I told you so" attitude but pleased with Mrs. Sullivan's bad fortune, smirks (suggests roast Changeling alive on griddle)

Moving Plot Forward--

• Solutions revealed from Neighbors but denied by Mrs. Sullivan

Scene 5:
Enter Ellen Grey
Exit Mrs. Sullivan

Environment--

• Ellen Grey's Home--obscure location, herbs and remedies hang all over the home, things creatively placed about inside, many worn blankets

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--desperate, intimidated, leery, surprised, taken-aback, then becomes apprehensive and doubtful by choice presented by Ellen Grey but it may be the only option left
• Ellen Grey--amused for she has seen these reactions before, sharp and witty despite her looks, mysterious
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• Solution revealed from Ellen Grey that is more accepted by Mrs. Sullivan

Scene 6:
Enter Mrs. Sullivan
Exit Changeling

Environment--

• Home--thatched roof, mostly made of white stone, rural, small windows, wooden table and chairs, bits of straw on the floor

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--determined but uneasy, purposeful
• Changeling--curious, amused, talkative, creepy
  

Moving Plot Forward--

• Changeling reveals age so must return Baby

Scene 7:
Enter Baby
Exit Mrs. Sullivan with Baby

Environment--

• Home--thatched roof, mostly made of white stone, rural, small windows, wooden table and chairs, bits of straw on the floor

Character/Feelings--

• Mrs. Sullivan--relieved, happy, tender in showing her love in a quiet way (no longer bragging)
• Baby--calm, happy, quiet, mild, serene (at this time he has bright-blue eyes, smooth skin, and tiny/delicate hands)

Moving Plot Forward--

• Baby returned

It always feels good to work this process out!

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"The Gardener's Wife": French Scenes technique

Each story in this "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" premiere will be my chance to use the French Scenes technique for storytelling taught by Don Doyle.

In September 2006, I met with him to work on the Greek epic "Hephaestus: Fire Within", which addressed child abuse at infant and adolescent stages and the results when Hephaestus became an adult.

Click here if you want to know what else I learned from Don Doyle.

Basic concept of French Scenes:
French Scenes are main events of the story that begin with one or more key characters enter the scene and ends when one or more key characters exit the scene. Between entrances and exits are developments to the story whether in understanding the environment, revealing character, and forwarding the plot.

French Scenes tend to be divided into 5 parts though I could have as many as 32+ parts for a complicated story.

While meeting with Holly Robison, my story buddy for "The Gardener's Wife", we pulled out the thesaurus as we brainstormed works for character feelings. Time flew by so we did not complete all the scenes for story. Even one of her daughters came to check our project out. (permission granted to post picture)

Here are the French Scenes so far for this Colombian story--
***Please note that the Gardener's Wife will simply be known as Wife.

Scene 1:
Enter Wife
Exit Husband

Environment--

• Inside house looking out to garden
• Fall time for Colombia (or late summer)
• Beautiful day--sun, blue sky, hear birds and breeze

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--longing, wishful, hopeful, happy/sad, bewildered at husband's view
• Husband--happy, befuddled at the answer that his wife wants of him, preoccupied with work

***Both have feelings of love and playfulness
Moving Plot Forward--

• Establish that the Wife and Husband are childless

Scene 2:
Enter Thoughts about the 3 Sisters
Exit with Triple Weddings

Environment--

• Garden--flowers will trigger memories about the village gossip
• Same day as Scene 1--still beautiful day
• Eventually memories transport from Garden to the Castle and Castle Grounds for weddings

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--reflecting on comical "story", eye to detail, honored
• All Sisters--joking, playful, dreamy, hungry
  
• 1st Sister--(oldest)--leader and turns jealous and resentful
• 2nd Sister--(middle)--follows the oldest Sister but likes the 3rd Sister's answer best
• 3rd Sister--(youngest)--has bigger vision and spoiled

Moving Plot Forward--

• Explains vengeance of two older Sisters towards the youngest (leads to babies switched)
• Emphasize indifference of the King

Scene 3:
Enter Pregnant 3rd Sister
Exit 1st Baby Boy

Environment--

• Castle and Castle Grounds with buzz by subjects of 1st born and turns to gasp/silence as discover the dog
  
• 10 months later
• Midwife Room
• River

Character/Feelings--

• 3rd Sister (pregnant)--loud, in pain, sleep deprived
• 1st Sister (leader of scheme)--even more jealous, conniving, vengeful, grumpy
• 2nd Sister (follower of scheme)--same as 1st Sister except nervous, worried to get caught
• King--unconcerned, indifferent
• 1st Baby Boy--quiet otherwise people would not believe the dog was born in its place

Moving Plot Forward--

• Strange reactions for Queen and King of baby "dog", though Queen feels like something is missing later on
• Baby will arrive to the Wife and Husband so the audience will know to whom the Baby belongs

Scene 4:
Enter Wife and Husband
Exit Wife with 1st Baby Boy into Home

Environment--

• Outside at Garden near River
• Beautiful day

Character/Feelings--

• Wife--grieving, longing, despair, hopeless (another 10 months childless), then turns to surprise, curious, joy, tenderness, love, celebration, praising, thankful, wonder
• Husband--happy, confused, worries more of where Baby comes from, otherwise same as the Wife
• 1st Baby Boy--loved, content, though ill from being tossed on the water, tired when hears lullaby until completely asleep

Moving Plot Forward--

• 1st Baby Boy has Home

More scenes will be added in a future post.















Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

"The Gardener's Wife" & Heart-Song Scribblings

I always imagined two songs in "The Gardener's Wife": a grieving song and a lullaby.

While with my story buddy, Holly Robison, we explored the possibilities for the grieving song. The grieving song would be prompted when she is alone. She is strong when her husband is nearby.

In August 2008, I had the following ideas or what I labeled as "Scribblings from my Heart"--

An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.

This was our starting point for our brainstorming and one of our handy tools was the thesaurus.

I realized that I would like to delve into the senses such as sight, sound, touch/feel, smell and taste. The empty table and chair were visual, but what about for sound or for touch/feel? Holly and I did not think that we could do much with smell or taste for this song.

I sensed that three verses were needed. Originally I thought the song would be sung all at once at the beginning. This would be before the Gardener's Wife is blessed with three children. Then I expressed to Holly that in some ways it was too bad that it would be sung once as the lullaby would be sung several times throughout the story.

Holly asked, "Does it have to be sung all at once?"

Silence. My mind racing.

"No, it doesn't!" I exclaimed.

As there are three children, one of the three verses could be sung before a baby comes to her. The lullaby would then be sung after a baby come.

First verse--rough draft:

A silent cradle.
A silent room.
A silent home that sounds like a tomb.

As not a single baby is in the home, it would be silent. The focus would be on the sense of sound.

Other things could be silent besides a cradle and room:

• laughter
• songs
• stories
• crying
• sharing
• chat/conversation/talk
• play
• room
• home
• corner
• place
  

Second verse--rough draft:

A lonely ______. (needs to be two syllables)
A lonely ______. (needs to be one syllable)
A lonely ___________________. (2nd and 3rd lines need to rhyme)

The Gardener's Wife knows that though she is not as lonely as before, she still does not feel complete. There is also not a playmate or sibling for the first baby. The focus would be on the sense of touch/feel.

Things that could create loneliness:

• moment
• time
• hour
• hand
• walk
• hug
• thought
• meal
• baby items
• places

Third verse--rough draft:

An empty table.
An empty chair.
An empty family that should be there.

The Gardener's Wife knows, as a mother, that someone is missing. A third child needs to come to the home. The focus would be on the sense of sight.

Other words could be like empty:

• barren
• nothing
• zero
• lack
• silent
• bare
• blank
• vacant
• unfulfilled
• forgotten

There will be a day when this "grieving" song will not be silent, lonely, or empty. All will be complete. . .soon.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Lullaby of Love: Song of the Gardener's Wife

Songs and lullabies rushed to my mind after choosing "The Gardener's Wife" story for the grand finale piece of the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

In a matter of moments, I could envision the gardener's wife rocking a baby in her arms. This image quickly switched to me caressing a baby. As my husband and I do not have children yet, such an image stirred emotions of great excitement.

The words came out of my mouth and I could see them sung to my future children.

In the story, a baby is sent to the gardener and his wife by the river. Water is also an essential part to birth.

So the words that came to me:
Oh my child, my precious child
The waters sent you here
Oh my child, my precious child
To have you close and near

This lullaby is short though such a song of love is often that way.

I called my storytelling friend, Holly Robison, and told her my discovery. I sung the lullaby to her and asked if she could sing it as a duet for a certain part of the story. We have told tandem tales before where we harmonized.

She said yes.

I explained that when the song is first sung, I would sing it. Then Holly would harmonize with me for the second time. She would "oooo" the tune while I narrated that throughout the village other mothers and fathers sung the song. This would be a hint to the audience to join in. As they would have heard the words twice and there are four lines with two lines repeating, then it would be simple enough. The words--though few--would also be in the program.

I may have an ASL interpreter so we would have the song in sign language.

Something happens when everyone sings together.

As the adopted children of the gardener and his wife grow up in the story, then the song will be sung again though not in such a dramatic way as the first time. However, the audience would be familiar with the tune and the words and could join in each time.

As the gardener and his wife wanted children for a long time, it seemed natural that the wife would have another song--a grieving song--while waiting for that moment.

The words and tune have yet to come to me.

There is a line that I feel must be part of it:
There's a hunger in my soul. I yearn for more.

As I explore the story more, then more inspiration will come.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Soucouyants, Ezili Freda & other Caribbean Tales

Caribbean folklore is intriguing as I know little of this culture or of the supernatural figures that abound in it.

European, African, and many North American stories (excluding Caribbean) are commonly found in the repertoire of most of the storytellers I know, to include myself.

I absorbed what several professors shared at the "Metamorphoses: An International Colloquium on Narrative and Folklore"on the University of Utah campus held from October 2-5, 2008.

However, my hand and wrist seemed unable to capture all the notes desired from the paper "Caribbean Animal-Human Metamorphosis and (Post) Colonial Agency" presented by Aliyah Khan, Professor of Caribbean Literature and Postcolonial Theory from University of California--Santa Cruz. My unfamiliarity with the culture crippled my speed.

I approached Khan and asked if she had recommendations of Caribbean folklore to research that related to the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production. She was kind to share a couple ideas. She was also willing to confirm authenticity of Caribbean culture in relation to any story I decided to tell.

Two supernatural figures require more research:

• Soucouyant--Old woman, mainly from Trinidad/Tobago areas, who transforms into a ball of fire by night to suck the blood of animals and humans, especially babies.

The Soucouyant often targets babies who are born a few nights previous. If the mother does not watch, then the baby may die. Some ways to protect are to wrap the baby in blue (references to water) or to scatter rice as the Soucouyant cannot leave until all the grains are counted. If she still is in her ball of fire form after sunrise, then she is destroyed. This could be a mother/child relationship piece for "Family Famine: Hunger for Love".

• Ezili Freda--A light-skinned Creole woman, from Haiti area, that is the Vodou goddess of love and luxury. She is doomed to unrequited love and she is often pictured with her heart pierced with a knife.

As the embodiment of femininity, there is the potential of finding stories that talk of fertility and barrenness and from there leads to motherhood.


To explore more about Caribbean tales, here are some sites:

• Bibliography from American Museum of Natural History
  
• The Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center (no stories, though place to make connections)
• Wikipedia Caribbean folklore
  

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller