dear friends, · dear friends, two decembers ago, my dear friend sally passed away. even though we...
TRANSCRIPT
April 15, 2020
Dear Friends,
Two Decembers ago, my dear friend Sally passed away. Even though we all knew she was sick, we were completely unprepared when she left us. For days and months, even years now, so many things popped up in my head, things I wish I had told her. Things I wish I’d shared with her. Those messages will have to remain unsent.
But I can prevent this regret. We humans are equipped to prevent the same regret because we have words. Language serves us at times when we need to convey something to someone else, and those times are now.
I can prevent regret with other people in my life, people who matter to me and who are reachable one way or another. I can email friends and family, even famous people, to deliver the messages I have inside me. I can put letters in the mail. Or share videos online.
So my colleagues Nicole Morales and Judi Reimer and I have put together this home edition of activities for you and yours. We hope you will enjoy using it, and that it will do your heart as much good as it does ours.
Love,
Gretchen Bernabei
www.trailofbreadcrumbs.net
How the Following Pages Work? What do I do with the heart map? The heart map is to help you brainstorm a good list of people in your life. If you trim the page along the border of the page, it will fit neatly into a composition book. The text structures on the next pages will help you formulate really well- developed messages to send in any way that works for you. You can take snapshots of the message part of the page and send those or use other paper to send them.
Why use text structures? Emotions can make us speechless. When we speak from the heart, sometimes our emotions clog up our words, and we just hear ourselves saying, “Thank you so much, thank you for all you do, thank you so much, I really want to say thank you.” This message may be from the heart, which is great, but if you received a message like this, you wouldn’t know what the sender was really thinking about. So text structures help a reader see what you are thinking, to get a better glimpse inside you.
Do you have to use the text structures exactly? Heck no. Change the order, change the words in the boxes, add or subtract any parts you like. They’re there to give you a hand at speaking clearly and fully. How much should you write for each box? A sentence, or more. If you need more paper, use more paper. It’s your message. Say as much as you want. Do I Have Permission to use this with my family? My students? Who? You have permission to share this freely with anyone who would benefit from it. You do not have permission to sell it. Is this the whole collection? Nope. This is the starter set. If you’d like more, come back to www.trailofbreadcrumbs.net and you’ll find more as we develop them. Did you make up these text structures? We made up a couple of them, but some of them came from other sources. The “thank you” structure we tweaked from the “No thank you” structure from the Indians of the Six Nations (from Text Structures from the Masters), as well as the “I feel your pain” structure, which was adapted from JFK’s speech in Berlin. Also, the “admiration” structure was adapted from Frederick Douglass’s letter to Harriet Beecher Stowe. The “request” structure was tweaked William B. Travis’s Letter to the Alamo. The “accident/apology” structure was adapted from the structure from Humpty Dumpty from Text Structures from Nursery Rhymes.” These have all been published by Corwin Literacy. If you look through those books, you’ll find structures that stratch all sorts of human itches. (Thank you, Thomas Newkirk, for the skin condition metaphor.)
Unsent Messages #1
The situation: People have given you things, and you appreciate it, But you want to make sure they know. Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
Dear ___________________________,
From the heart, ___________________________
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to say thank you
Unsent Messages #2
The situation: There’s someone you admire, and you’ve never told them. Now’s a good time! Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to say you admire them
Unsent Messages #3
The situation: You’re stuck in some way, and only help from someone else can get you unstuck. Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to ask for something
Unsent Messages #4
The situation: Something’s nagging at you and you really need to tell someone you’re sorry for something. Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to say I’m sorry
Unsent Messages #5
The situation: Someone you care about is hurting. You can’t take the pain away, but you want them to know you care. Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to comfort someone
Unsent Messages #6
The situation: Someone you care about is hurting. You can’t take the pain away, but you want them to know you care. Choose a person and let the structure help you craft your message from the heart.
Deliver it. Mail Email Call Take a photo & text Record & share link Skype/Zoom/FaceTime
©20
20 G
retc
hen
Bern
abei
For
mor
e, visit:
www.trailof
brea
dcrumbs.ne
t
to reveal something
Call for Submissions: If you’d like to have a piece of writing (kernel essay or longer) considered for publication, send (email or snail mail) the piece of writing along with this page to Gretchen Bernabei, 1107 Mt. Rainier Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78213 or email it to [email protected].
A complimentary copy will be sent to each published contributor.