Where are YOU from?

Today I was part of a creative writing workshop hosted by my friend Elaine and her sister Plynn (no, that’s not a typo…). Plynn is writer, author, teacher and amazing woman.

Nine women of various ages and nationalities participated in the workshop, during which we shared  intimate details from our lives: joys, sorrows, challenges, triumphs and more. We laughed; we cried.

For me, it was like being re-born in the company of strangers.

The first exercise was to write the words “I am from…" and then to let our thoughts flow freely for about five minutes. Afterward, each of us read aloud what we had written to the group.

Now I offer the fruits of the “I am from…” exercise to you:

I am from the earth, from the universe, the stars, the space, the huge void that is everywhere. I am from the spirit that surrounds us. I am from that which dwells within and without. I am from the trees and the gardens and the sea.

I am from the waves and the deep ocean. I am from the blue sky that stretches into black infinity. I am from wandering. I am from the desert and the dunes; I am from the speck of dust, the tiniest atom, the biggest black hole.

I am from never-never land, from children, from the generations that preceded me, and the ones that will follow.

I am taste and sound and light. I am from me and you and the greatness of everything that ever was. I am from the tear that wells up in my eye, and the deep emotion that creates it.

I am from stillness and noise, from peace and chaos, from dark and light.

I am from my mother and father and brother. I am from inside and out, from my fingers and my toes. I am from the flesh. I am from the wind. I am from you. I am from me. I am from the dance, the music, the core of everything that is, was and will ever be.

I am from god. I am from war. I am from now and then. I am from the past. I am from the future. I am from this minute. I am from this writing, I am from these words and sentences and paragraphs. These dots and keys and connections. I am from the computer.

I wonder where you are from…?