Moving on

I have a new project in the making and hope it flies -- maybe in January. I met with our local children's librarian this afternoon and asked her if I could set up and facilitate a mother-daughters' reading group. Usually these groups are for girls in the 8-12 age bracket. They read a book, something with a girl as central character and one who is strong, principled, interesting and has the sort of strength and values most of us would want to foster in our daughters. Their moms read the same book and then the two generations (or three if a grandma participates) meet and the book is discussed from the vantage points of the young and the older.

My own daughters are adults, so this won't be for them, but I enjoy facilitating groups and I enjoy the liveliness of that preteen age group. My experience with book groups has been mixed. I personally don't like book groups where folks sit around and chat because tangents develop a life of their own and the book under discussion gets lost. I also dislike groups in which the members take turns facilitating because some people have no interest, training or skills in keeping a group focused. But facilitated groups, when one person really has the responsibility to keep things moving, maintain focus, help and include quieter participants, construct thoughtful questions and create a safe atmosphere where a piece of literature can be explored - that sort of group is to be sought after.

Well, at this point my invitation is just that, an invitation. The wheels of hierarchy have to turn. Permission must be sought. The holidays are fast upon us so even with permission nothing will start anytime soon. But my experience has been that when I proceed as though the venture will happen, it almost always does.

In the meantime, I have one more thing to look forward to.