Sunday, March 30, 2014

"An UNhappy Mother's Day"



We are sometimes as if covered and suffocating in cement. 
Being pulled and dragged down into depths unknown. 

We are sometimes as if wearing masks.
Masks of perfect form and detail, but lacking in expression.

We are sometimes as if alive, our shell being so life-like.
Yet it is but a shell, eyes closed, mouth closed, nose barely breathing - barely living.

We are sometimes as if gray.
Life existing without colour.


Ten years ago I found myself wishing for an unhappy Mother's Day, wishing for any kind of a Mother's Day. I had survived a nine week whirlwind which took me from Bride to pregnant with Twins, to losing one baby, then weeks later losing the second baby and a few weeks later surrounded by the throws of Mother's Day in a land which worships The Mammy. 

I wished for unhappiness because that would have been so superior to the pain that was ripping my heart into shreds. It had all happened too fast. It had collided with disastrous outcome into a day celebrating the things, the Beings, I had just lost. They were not with me, and I not with them. They were not who they should have been, alive and growing and strong. I was not who I should have been, incubator, nest, Mammy. 

Everywhere I looked there was happiness, gorgeous smiles, hearts bursting out of beaming  faces, arms embracing, eyes so full of love and adoration that you could feel it by looking into them, flowers of every colour, best dresses, little suits, round protruding bellies, hands held, bizarrely beautiful handmade cards with inscriptions and drawings only a Mother could understand, bright beautiful colours exploding everywhere you looked. 

There we were. Pain so intense words escape. Gray, colourless mounds of hurt. Hearts ripped open.

Ten year anniversaries bring a rip in the heart, when that anniversary is not a fond one. When that anniversary commemorates a pain, a death, a loss, then it can be nothing less than a reliving of that first heart-shred. Your mind and heart meld together to touch into the past and in doing so, my mind, does not just take in today, or ten years ago, but eight years ago as well. February and March took my three babies from me. 

I have always thought Mother's Day at the end of March a particularly cruel joke.
A day which, from ten years ago onward, became day for which my aim has simply been to survive. 
Mother's Day in Ireland has never been far enough removed from the loss of my babies for me to have been able to digest it. It's never been a cause for celebration for me. It has only been a call for survival.

To all the Mother's who never held their babies or felt their breath on their skin, but who knew and loved those babies from day one, know that this too is YOUR DAY. It's just a little bit different to the rest. 


Friday, March 21, 2014

Sea Speak Junior Storytelling Club for Kids ~ March Storytelling Session



Saturday 22nd March
2pm
At The Little Shop of Books
Harbour Road, Howth
FREE-IN

It's no longer Wolrd Storytelling Day, but we Sea Speakers just love any opportunity to CELELBRATE Storytelling. Come along and join Storytellers Daria Marie Walsh and her friend Lorcan the Lamb for an afternoon of Storytelling with Sea Speak Junior. 

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

"Meet Me Under the Clock at Clerys" - Dublin World Storytelling Event


World Storytelling Day ~ Thursday 20th March 2014

World Storytelling Day is Thursday 20th March and Sea Speak Storytellers are JOINING Storytellers of Ireland, and other Dublin Storytellers and Dublin Storytelling Clubs to bring you a CELEBRATION of Storytelling in the iconic setting of The Tea Rooms at Clerys!

JOIN US for “Meet Me Under the Clock at Clerys”
Thursday 20th March
6:30-8:00pm
The Tea Rooms
Clerys
O’Connell Street
Dublin

FREE EVENT

We offer you a fantastic LINE-UP for the Evening:
MC – Daria Marie Walsh
Storytellers
Daria Marie Walsh
Catherine Brophy
Brendan Nolan
Jack Lynch
Nuala Hayes 

Because Storytelling is Wonderful....
Because Storytelling is Important....

As Committee Member of Storytellers of Ireland, Sea Speak Storytelling Founder, Daria Marie Walsh, prompted the participation in the worldwide celebration of this precious and ancient Art of Storytelling, encouraging Storytellers and Storytelling Clubs to organize special events for the day; herself organizing for Dublin. 

Additionally, we WELCOME to the Dublin Events Listing:

St Joseph's Junior School Ballymun, Dublin 

Storytelling with Storyteller Aideen McBride from
11am - 2pm (But not open to public) 


St. Louise's Primary School, Ballyfermot, Dublin 
(This is a Closed Event)
Storyteller Daria Marie Walsh will be Storytelling throughout the day in The Hall and Classrooms and after school Writers Group. Additionally, students in the School Completion Program – Writers Group have been practicing and will JOIN Daria to Tell their own Tales as well!
It promises to be a GREAT DAY in Ballyfermot!

Today Ireland JOINS the World Storytelling Day Celebrations for the first time.

' World Storytelling Day'  ~ Thursday 20th March 2014

World Storytelling Day is and is our All-Island Events Listing!

It's going to be GREAT!

JOIN the CELEBRATION: Contact Daria Marie Walsh - Narrative and Visual Art through FaceBook, this Page or at dmarieaw@yahoo.com to GET INVOLVED

Because Storytelling is Wonderful....
Because Storytelling is Important....
JOIN THE STORY-CELEBRATION

EVENTS LISTING:

Dublin 

St. Louise's Primary School, Ballyfermot, Dublin 
Storytelling with Storyteller Daria Marie Walsh, joined by Members of the S.C.P. Writer's Group. Telling two sessions in the Auditorium (private); and Storytelling in the Classrooms.

St Joseph's Junior School Ballymun, Dublin 
Storytelling with Storyteller Aideen McBride from
11am - 2pm (But not open to public) 

“Meet Me Under the Clock at Clerys"
Dublin World Storytelling Day Show - A coming together of Dublin Storytellers and Dublin Storytelling Groups 
At The Tea Rooms in 
Clerys, Dublin O’Connell St., Dublin 
6:30-8:00pm FREE
MC – Daria Marie Walsh
Storytellers
Daria Marie Walsh
Catherine Brophy
Brendan Nolan
Jack Lynch
Nuala Hayes

Ulster

Tullycarnet Yarnspinners
Featuring Storyteller Liz Weir 
Tullycarnet Library, Kinroos Avenue, Dundonald, Belfast at 8pm.

The Playhouse Theatre
5-7 Artillery St., Derry / Londonderry

Storytellers of Ireland and The Playhouse present 
"World Storytelling Day" 
At The Thatched Cottage, The Craft Village
Thursday 20th March 8pm FREE
Storytellers of Ireland present a unique evening event as part of a province wide celebration of World Storytelling Day.
10 Storytellers from across Ireland tell their own unique 10 minute tale.
Kate Murphy 
Nandi Jola
Joe Brennan
Frances Quinn 
Doreen McBride 
Declan Forde
Bernadette Layden
Patsy Devine
Madeline McCully
Danny Aughey 

Connacht

Moth & Butterfly
A Monthly Night of Storytelling and Improvisation
Wednesday 19th of March 2014
Upstairs @ Ard Bia, Spanish Arch, Galway
Doors at 8PM - Admission €5 - tickets on the door
The Theme for March is: 'Bright and Beautiful'