The Gift of Gathering

Dear Reader:

Family birthdays become more significant and more special as time goes by. We realize as we pose for pictures each year that the gift of gathering…the gift of life…is the most precious thing in the world. We also realize the importance of family…they will always be there for us when sometimes the world turns away.

…And this was a bench mark birthday for Ben and Vikki…Ben turned seventy and this was Vikki’s first birthday where she had an extra present…Rhodes…truly the gift that keeps on giving.

“This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive.” Alice Waters

Some of the family gathered for brunch at the Old Village Post House and then carried the party over to John and Mandy’s house. *The area around the restaurant in the “Old Village” section of Mt. Pleasant is so cute…you just want to put a bow around it.

Family gatherings make us realize that our most valuable possessions are our shared experiences. Tradition can bind a certain magic, spirit, or texture to our everyday lives.

A Quick Collage of sights to remember:

So until tomorrow: (“For Celebration”: John O’Donohue) To Bless the Space Between Us.

” Now is the time to free the heart, Let all intentions and worries stop, Free the joy inside the self, Awaken to the wonder of your life.”

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”

View all posts by Becky Dingle →

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.