Eileen Rockefeller

Several years ago, while I was writing my memoir, I visited a friend in Carmel, California, and bought a green jade turtle with a baby on its back. I was captivated by it, and thought I should give it to my editor as a thank you for all her help. But when I got close to wrapping up the present, I realized I just couldn’t let it go. I showed it to her and told her how I’d felt a connection to it. Perhaps I would give it to her when my book was finished. Luckily she understood.

The day came and still the little turtle was sitting in front of my computer. Something about its expression, of passive contentment, carrying the little one on top, felt like a totem for the kind of care I would need to give myself when taking my stories out into the world Continue reading →

Welcome to my blog! I will use it to talk about what helps us become ourselves. I’ll share stories and experiences, poems and musings, as a way of connecting with you and building a supportive community for all of us. It’s important to me that we share our thoughts from “I” statements. This means that instead of saying something like “you don’t know what you’re talking about,” I take responsibility for my feelings and say, “I don’t agree,” or “I don’t understand what you mean.” My hope is that our exchanges will lead to new understandings, revelations, or simply the comfort of knowing we are not alone. The conversations might give us ideas of how to help ourselves, our families, friendships, and other close relationships to heal and become whole. Most of all, I hope they help you connect to your authentic self. Finding ourselves heals family. And healthy families create healthy society.