In October, Blackwood Uniting Church will be re-running the My Life Story workshop previously run in 2020.

The workshop runs over three successive Tuesday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm – October 4, 11 and 18 – and is professionally facilitated by Rhonda Smedley. In the workshops, participants will be guided through the reflective process of putting together their life story in words and images.

One of the participants in the previous workshop, Merilyn Shield, spoke about the experience. “My feeling is that everyone has a story to tell. Everyone’s story is unique, and there may be family members who could benefit from that story. There’s something really special about producing a book that documents your life. It is a legacy to be passed on to others. My recommendation for anyone who is deliberating about whether it would be worthwhile to do something like this is, just have a go! It is a lot of fun. It’s fun going through your memorabilia, however big or small your box is. It’s your story, and it’s worth writing down, for yourself and for others.”

When asked whether there were any particular highlights in the workshop, Merilyn had this to say. “There was great pleasure in remembering and reflecting back on my early life. And also, in that reflection, I gained a deeper appreciation and gratitude for those people who were part of that early life. I think my gratitude toward them has increased, and that’s a good place to be.”

The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard once said: life must be lived forwards, but can only be understood backwards. It can be very helpful to occasionally pause our forward journey, to look back, and try to make sense of the meaning and significance of it all. The My Life Story workshop assists that process.

A video interview with Merilyn can be seen at the YouTube link below.

Brief Excerpts from Interview: https://youtu.be/hpnyesEhNRQ

Please call the Blackwood Uniting Church office for bookings ($25 per person) and to obtain the necessary information about requirements for the workshop. Maximum participants is 15, so it’s best to get in early!

Office phone: 08 8278 7699

Office email: blackwoodunitingchurch@gmail.com

Michael Dowling