Crone Chronicles 20-20: Intimately Inspiring Glimpses into the Lives of Wise Women 52+

by Debra L Gish

Overview

Crone Chronicles 20-20©: Intimately Inspiring Glimpses into the Lives of Wise Women 52+ Crone Chronicles 20-20© is a priceless collection of short stories, poems and songs, (all single-sitting reads) written by female elders venerated for their experience, judgment, and wisdom. This book project created an opportunity for both published authors and first-time storytellers to craft stories about their lives that tell the world who they really are. No holds barred! Ms. Gish promotes storytelling to empower and heal; by transforming life-long learning into sage wisdom, we devote our elder years to self-awareness and self-expression for the higher good. More than just 'coming of age' stories, Crone Chronicle 20-20 writers hold their heads high, laugh, cry, and explore what it means to grow old: unapologetically demystifying and debunking the meaning of CRONE. Societally, crones get a bad rap, labeled as 'ugly old hags' or 'witches' and are not perceived as useful or productive. This disparaging treatment of female elders is a loss for everyone who would benefit from knowing us. From loving us. From holding us. Crones often become abandoned and invisible after raising families, retiring or being alone in the world due to divorce, death, sexual preference, poverty, or illness. Crone Chronicles 20-20 reshapes negative images of crones by reclaiming the crone archetype 'wise woman.' Writing heals while producing 'generativity' i.e., "what I've gleaned from my experience, I now want to share so future generations will also benefit." While Crone Chronicles 20-20 cannot resolve all discrimination of female elders, it does provide a platform for individual and collective healing. Crones describe life-defining moments with an eye toward fortifying their conviction and position. These crone writers tap into the hearts and minds of readers, creating compassion for their struggles and conquests to teach us all about life. Gish created this anthology of women's stories to unveil and identify the magnificent lives of crones: amazing adventures that inspire and empower us to rise, surpassing our own hopes and expectations for what we can accomplish later in life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781098323417
Publisher:	BookBaby
Publication date:	08/17/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	372
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Debra L. Gish, Managing Editor of Crone Chronicles 20-20©: Intimately Inspiring Glimpses into the Lives of Wise Women 52+ has gathered a priceless collection of short stories by female elders (crones). Gish is also Founder of Crones Landing; a published poet and author of Displaced: A Perilous True Story of an Expatriate Working to Right Wrongs from the Past, Steuben Press, April 2017.

Recognizing the glaring ignorance related to women's roles worldwide, Gish has dedicated her life to promoting women's worth. She empowers crones, who often become 'invisible' after raising families, retiring, or being alone due to divorce, death, sexuality, poverty, or illness.

Gish is an international development practitioner, peace mediator and learning coach engaged in multi-disciplinary fields: women's, elder's, and indigenous rights, transformative justice, civil society, education, public health, food security, disaster relief, child and adolescent workers, immigration reform and human trafficking. She is a recognized expert in gender analysis, a humanist, and above all, a feminist. She has been on the front lines for five decades. Gish directs programs for international organizations and NGOs, e.g., CRS, CARE, Irish Aid, US State Dept., US Labor Dept., USAID, UNDP, UNODC and UN Women. She leads pioneering work that educates and empowers women, youth, elders, indigenous and minorities in countries around the world.

Gish conceived of Crone Chronicles 2020©, after witnessing and confronting violence and global systematic oppression of women and girls throughout her career. She feels this book is a viable means to help heal deep wounds. Readers will learn from our wisdom and be inspired to make positive changes in society.

It is Debra's personal quest to empower crones in transforming life-long learning and experiences into sage wisdom so we can be a positive force for humanity. Crone Chronicles 20-20 is a magical experience; crones explore and surface the divine waiting to be tapped and nurtured inside each of us. For the confidence instilled in her by the 57 selected storytellers appearing in these pages, she feels deeply honored.

For a complete list of book distributors, go to www.cronechronicles20-20.com or write Ms. Gish at [e-mail] to leave a review of the book.

Table of Contents

First Glimpse: Identifying Our Path Early in Life - Finding Ourselves Through Continuous Self-Discovery 22

Greek Un-Orthodox Thomai Hatsios 23

Fast for the Forest. A Sekhmet Sister 30

Love It or Leave It Rosan Larizza 38

Becoming a Landdyke Crone Jenno Weston 43

Living the Dream. And Then, What? Cedar Heartwood 49

Writing About Place: Appalachian Foothills Cedar Heartwood 51

Before the Dawn/After the Light J. Zeeb 52

Crow Phyllis Free 59

Second Glimpse: Overcoming Obstacles- On Finding our Purpose Without Excuses 60

Writing with the Wild Robin Toler 61

Grief, Grace and Gratitude Eva Mae Nicholson 68

When the Universe Says Move Rev. Robin G. White 72

Mosaic Soul Valri Hamilton 79

Breathing Inuit Style Barbara Van-Helsdingen 81

Once upon a Crone Debra L. Gish 87

Third Glimpse: Our Resistance to Aging - Getting Older is NOT for the Faint-Hearted 94

I Refuse the Crone's Disease Dixie Taylor 95

If You're Lucky You Get Old Marie Cartier 98

Don't Call Me Old!!! Eileen Brownell 104

Vanity, Thy Name is Me Kelley West Sadowski 108

Fourth Glimpse: Valuing Ourselves as Female Elders - Understanding our Uniqueness Makes us Beauty-full 112

To Crone or Not to Crone Batya Weinbaum 113

The Goddess Chant Phyllis Free 121

"How Tall Are You Anyway?" Paula Mariedaughter 123

My Life-Changing Weekend Kianna (Diane) Lovegrove Bader 128

"You're Too Big!" Linda M. White 133

Becoming a Queen & a Crone Cindy Lou Levee 136

A Fair Tale Madhavi Devi 145

Fifth Glimpse: Reinventing Ourselves After Retirement - Creating New Reasons for Being 147

In Honor of Animals Who Save Our Souls Maggi Smith Hall 148

The Gift of Starting Over Suzn Reu 156

A Crone is a Woman of Wisdom and Substance Ria Coesel 161

A Crone's Life, an Embodied Experience Deanne Quarrie 164

Sixth Glimpse: Our Great Adventures - Daring to Try & Learning New Things 167

The Big Hill Diana Rivers 168

To the Waterfall Diana Rivers 170

Taking the Helm Phyllis Free 176

Adventures of a Crone Betty Brown 178

A Pilot at Last Beverly Lerner 182

Seventh Glimpse: On Activism - The Importance of Leaving Our Mark 190

Still Activist After All These Years Sarah F. Pearlman 191

The Beat Goes On Corky Culver 198

On Becoming a Crone Jane Brumbaugh 200

Living Feminism Cedar Heartwood 203

A Seed at Imbolc Lakshmi Lambert 205

Eighth Glimpse: Embracing our Crone Age - Ahh, Celebrating Ourselves at Last 210

Stripes of Living Sharon Wood Wortman 211

Seven I Statements Sharon Wood Wortman 211

Eating Apples After Seventy Sharon Wood Wortman 212

Change Cedar Heartwood 213

Learning to Be Old Sarah F. Pearlman 214

Butterfly Crone Sue Wray 218

A Crone in the Sunny Garden Cathy De Anne 220

The Crone Millie Helman 221

A Crone's Journey Elizabeth Oliver 223

Hot Flashes Jaes Seis 226

My Croning Maryann Hopper 228

Ninth Glimpse: On Relationships - Discovering Love & Forgiveness with Others 235

Deep Emotion Beth York 236

When Two Crones Meet Edie Daly 237

I Have Loved Women Edie Daly 242

My Grandmother-in-Law's Poopage Jenny Yates 245

Finding Bodhi Mitzi Mize 248

What it Came Down To Cedar Heartwood 254

Like Mother, Like Daughter Cedar Heartwood 255

My Other Mother Cedar Heartwood 256

For Corky Cedar Heartwood 257

"When Did You Know?" Sharon Har Paz 259

Daisy, Daisy Nancy Caraker 265

Tenth Glimpse: On Loss - Yielding to Our Grief as Another Path to Love 277

In the Blue Sky Room: A Widow's Tale Lori Richards 278

Port in Any Storm Mitzi Mize 286

Response to Michfest's Announcement Mitzi Mize 287

The Knot Dorothy Lemmey 289

Death, Again Cedar Heartwood 298

Finding Purpose in Tragedy Shawna Barlette 299

On Losing Mother Debra L. Gish 305

Eleventh Glimpse: Crone Wisdom - It's Never Too Late to Learn; Let's Also Teach What We Know 313

Beyond Karin G. Bergstresser 314

Journey Beth York 317

The Language of Crones Woody Blue 318

What is the Best Advice from a Crone? Woody Blue 321

My Crone Speaking to My Thirty-Year-Old Barbara Esrig 327

Crone Wisdom from Those Who Have Passed Drea Firewalker 331

Twelfth Glimpse: Final Glimpses - Oh, the Sweet Nostalgia of Looking Back 338

Recordar é Viver (To remember is to live) Tania Ramalho 339

My Overnight Recovery in 30 Years Sharon Wood Wortman 343

Gracious Guests at Green Street Kaymarion Raymond 347

Great White Oak Beth York 353

Me and My Crones Emily Toth 355

Hawk Diana Rivers 360