Day 4: Reinvention and "The Other Mother"

Ann-Marie:

Resilience and reinvention are inspirational pivots for many of us during the current economy. I suspect the bloggers associated with "The Other Mother" blog tour know a great deal about these topics either directly or indirectly.

I have a tendency to lean my own personal story in the resilience category. One that sheds more light on living with grief and framing hardship as a learning tool. However, what I have learned by rallying through and up from these circumstances is that while one may not necessary effect outward changes, others make a note of a transition to some perceived flipside. Placing what they "see" in a category of transformative reinvention or as Byrne suggests to you "walking into another room." I do believe the common denominator of resilience and reinvention is the recognition that what transpires in one's life is significant, but not all-defining.

The Story of Byrne is a myriad of experiences in this regard. As is your own story Teresa. One realizes this reading the book or watching your "The Wisdom of Quitting" presentation at TEDX Charleston in 2013. 

Teresa:

Byrne Miller definitely knew a thing or two about reinvention. She was a classically trained pianist, but when the Great Depression hit she had to help support her parents by becoming a burlesque dancer on Vaudeville.

It's funny; because of my fanatical training to be an Olympic rhythmic gymnast, I always equated quitting and starting over with failure. One of the most important things Byrne Miller, my other mother, ever taught me was wisdom of quitting. It's the catalyst for reinvention.

She would tell me, "When what is painful can't be fixed, simply close the door behind you and walk into another room. The brain has more chambers than the heart."

In the course of researching her life for my memoir of our relationship, I learned how many times Byrne had to walk into another room.  Her professional modern dance career was cut short by having two daughters, so she reinvented herself as a choreographer.  When she moved to Beaufort and couldn't find enough professional dancers to support a performing company she reinvented the Byrne Miller Dance Theatre to become a presenting company for modern dance instead.

By the time she "collected" me as a daughter, she had another womenism at the ready: "There is not a contract on earth that cannot be rewritten," Here's to that!

The Other Mother: A Rememoir by Teresa Bruce

Tell us about your story of reinvention...

From hiatus to 10 days with The Other Mother

An extended hiatus from this blog focused on an elder care experience was a conscious choice, one that made the greatest difference to the people right in front of me. Now don't leap into thoughts of the long-term care process here, it was more like connecting before the memory and physical well-being of a parent would make such an endeavor even more difficult than it had already become. Never did I dream I would look up six months later with a more relaxed impression of senior living realizing I was missing the very thing that provided fulfillment to me personally (and on so many levels).

In my initial attempt to re-enter the blogging sphere I watched my heroic "Wednesday HodgePodge" crowd continue their ritual of once weekly tandem entries,  I relished the family news and pulling up recipes from Chef Richard Wilson's newswire, I witnessed "The Goddess Blogs" giving me all sorts of reasons to find romance alive, I read as "Olives & Alzheimers" relayed her own personal journey with a parent suffering from Alzheimers, I swooned to the poetry of James Goertel in Yareah Magazine, I drooled in virtual desire for the food in Travel Bite's worldwide adventures,  I clapped every feature in author Kami Kinard's Nerdy Chicks Rule, I watched "The Outdoor Yogini" blossom in self discovery, I relished the musings and thoughtful appreciation for life in pictures and video from a high school chum David Cate and yet couldn't muster a way to jump back in. Writers block? Maybe. Lack of focus? Maybe. Finding my place in this sphere of words after an absence? Most definitely.

Finally, without even realizing it, an author, wine and food provided the triple shot of enlightenment needed to gear back up confidently. So it is through an RSVP to a local event celebrating a book launch (a book I might add that got an approving nod from Pat Conroy) that I found my comfort zone again. And with that bit of an introduction you are invited to 10 Days with The Other Mother!

10 Days with The Other Mother


When: Begins December 1, 2013 and concludes on December 10, 2013 (then its on to the next blog stop)


Who: Teresa Bruce, author of The Other Mother & SCMornings contributor Ann-Marie Adams


What: An online conversation posted daily for ten days between two "Other Mothers" (Bruce and Adams) sharing wisdom, humor, revelation and womenisms. Expect musings to include Q&A, visual stimulation and expect the unexpected.


Where: Playing in multiple social media outlets near you! Originating here at SCMornings and intended to be shared, reposted, retweeted and favorited. #TheOtherMother (official hashtag) AND You the reader of course, you ARE the "+1" on this multi-day blog tour stop!


How: Mark your calendars to stalk our posts, chime in with your comments or simply tune in because you can in the comfort of your own time and space. 

Note: Engagement by readers each of the ten days nets one (1) lucky contributor a free copy of the book!