Coming Soon: Power of Words

Join Sondra Wallace & Jeni Starr as they discuss the purpose behind the Power of Words Podcast and discuss two special texts that have impacted their lives: The Whole-brain Child by Dan Seigel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD and I’m in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor.
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Presented by the Kansas City Public Library & Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City.

Transcript

Sondra Wallace: 0:07

Hi everyone, and welcome to our podcast, Power of Words. Thanks for stopping by.

Jeni Starr: 0:13

Hi, I'm Jeni Starr. My pronouns are she her, and I'm the Health and Wellness Specialist for the Kansas City Public Library.

Sondra Wallace: 0:20

And I'm Sondra Wallace. My pronouns are she her, and I'm the Director of Mental Health Programs at Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City. I'm glad to be back doing a program again with Jeni.

Jeni Starr: 0:31

Aww, thanks, Sondra. Sondra and I have worked together on mental health programming for several years, and we're pleased to bring you our latest project where we talk with community members and connect stories through words that matter.

Sondra Wallace: 0:43

We're excited to have our guests share a little bit about their mental health journeys and their love for Kansas City. We've asked each of our guests to share an example of how specific words have empowered, changed, encouraged, or strengthened their mental health and wellness.

Jeni Starr: 0:58

We hope one or two of the words from our conversation today allow you to connect to words that matter to you. Hi, Sondra.

Sondra Wallace: 1:14

Hey. How's it going, Jeni?

Jeni Starr: 1:16

It's going alright. How are you doing today?

Sondra Wallace: 1:19

Just, just great. Thank you. Thank you. I'm excited to get our podcast launched and share with our listeners what this might be all about.

Jeni Starr: 1:28

I am too, and listeners, were so happy that you joined us today for this little mini episode of our new podcast, Power of Words.

Sondra Wallace: 1:37

Yeah.

Jeni Starr: 1:37

Now Sondra, you came to us with this big idea. Do you wanna share a little bit about where this started?

Sondra Wallace: 1:44

Sure. Yeah. You know, this idea has kind of been swirling around for you know, a solid year or so. What we know in the world of mental health is that a lot of times folks have to wait a little while before they can get professional counseling or therapy or services that they might need. In more of a medical setting. And so it, the idea came about as a tool to give folks a place or a space or some ideas to do some thinking and reflecting and learning about how they can support, strength, and build their own mental health. You know, in their own space, in their own time, at their own location and just really trying to encourage and inspire people to take some of that empowerment to bring stronger mental health to their everyday life.

Jeni Starr: 2:38

For sure, for sure. And, and the library has partnered with Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City on a few projects over the years. Oh. And so this was a real natural fit for us as an organization that loves reading and books and, and sharing it information to partner with you all on this project.

Sondra Wallace: 2:56

Yeah. Well, I'm thrilled and as we've gotten to know each other over the last few years, it's, it feels the same thing, just like a great, you know, genesis, a revolution of what, what is to come next for our work together for the community of Kansas City that we love so much.

Jeni Starr: 3:12

For sure. Yeah. We do love this community and we wanna provide as much support as we can. And, you know, whether you're on a waiting list right now for services, which it's quite a few people are on waiting lists right now, or if you're just wanting to kind of strengthen your own mental health in a standalone kind of way, we wanna provide some resources to help you do that.

Sondra Wallace: 3:31

Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.

Jeni Starr: 3:31

The, the pandemic brought a lot of challenge to all of us, and so we wanna help support good mental health coming out of this.

Sondra Wallace: 3:40

Absolutely. Yeah. And just to be completely transparent, Jeni, you and I are not therapists, right? We are educators at our core and I'm just passionate about just bringing people ideas and education that could help in some way, form, or fashion, right? That the, the content and the materials that we share are are anchored in stories, conversation, resources, education and not in a formal medical therapeutic approach.

Jeni Starr: 4:08

What we're sharing is for information and for education and is not a substitute for seeking mental health services or any kind of health services. And so we encourage you if you need to seek that help to do so. And we will have some resources in our show notes for you if you're looking for some navigation to get to some of those services.

Sondra Wallace: 4:29

Yeah. Yeah. So can I jump in Jeni and share the words that

Jeni Starr: 4:34

Yes.

Sondra Wallace: 4:35

So much power and meaning to me, I came across these words many years ago and it was kind of one of those things that it was like the perfect synergy perfect space. I felt like it was the perfect book. My mindset was in a space of needing these words, and it it really has been a quote, if you will that has anchored me in a lot of work that I do in conversations that I have. And so I'm pulling a quote from"The Whole-brain Child" by Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. The book has been around for many, many years, and, he is a therapist and a doctor Daniel Siegel. So I was on a trip with our family. Our family does a, every summer takes a family float trip, and it was one of those mornings that I was able to be outside sitting on the river down in southern Missouri. And it was just the perfect morning. Dew was lifting up off of the river and I was sitting there in complete peace and calm. And I started reading Dan and Tina's book,"The Whole-brain Child" and literally on page 11 of the book. So I had just opened it up and started reading this paragraph I read:"Imagine a peaceful river running through the countryside. That's your river of wellbeing. Whenever you're in the water peacefully floating along in your canoe, you feel like you're generally in a good relationship with the world around you. You have a clear understanding of yourself, other people, and your life. You can be flexible and adjust when the situation changes, you're stable and at peace." And everything about that was my moment. And that was at the start of the day. At the end of the day of our float we come around this bend and there's trees and I always am insistent that we stay on the river till the sun starts to set which is a long day. But you know, always, you can always pull over on a bank and just hang out for a while.

Jeni Starr: 6:50

Yeah.

Sondra Wallace: 6:51

So we come around the bend and the sun is starting to set and the reflection of the sun down onto the river. I, I mean, honestly, I've got chills right now just describing it to you all. Was the encouragement, the empowerment, the, the full circle understanding of truly the Power of Words.

Jeni Starr: 7:16

Wow, Sondra.

Sondra Wallace: 7:18

Yeah. Yeah.

Jeni Starr: 7:20

Wow. That is so cool. Listeners, you're gonna learn that I'm a little bit woowoo, as I like to call it, and that I like to find connections and things.

Sondra Wallace: 7:30

Yeah.

Jeni Starr: 7:31

And just what are the odds that you would be on a float trip on page 11 of a book that had nothing to do with.

Sondra Wallace: 7:39

Nothing

Jeni Starr: 7:39

rivers,

Sondra Wallace: 7:40

no, no, nothing.

Jeni Starr: 7:41

And there would be a passage about a river.

Sondra Wallace: 7:44

Yeah, yeah.

Jeni Starr: 7:45

And connecting it to your mind.

Sondra Wallace: 7:47

Yeah. and then I was, I was ready for it. Right. Like I needed it in order to, to get grounded. To get centered again. And yeah.

Jeni Starr: 7:59

Yeah. That's amazing.

Sondra Wallace: 8:01

Yeah. Yeah. That's amazing. So we'll have that title in our show notes.

Jeni Starr: 8:06

Yes. In case listener, you would like to look into it yourself. Check that one out.

Sondra Wallace: 8:12

Mm-Hmm.

Jeni Starr: 8:12

We do have that.

Sondra Wallace: 8:12

Mm-Hmm.

Jeni Starr: 8:13

In our collection of the library.

Sondra Wallace: 8:15

Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.

Jeni Starr: 8:17

Anything else you wanna share about that, Sondra?

Sondra Wallace: 8:21

Yeah, you know, I, I, I think the, I think just the, the quote. Sums up what I really hope for all of our community that you have an experience that gets you grounded. Right? And that quote, I can go back to it when I'm not feeling especially grounded or feeling especially healthy, I have the visualization. I have all the, all the feels right from, from that day and, we really wanna be able to have resources and encouragement for folks that you don't have to, spend lots and lots of money. You don't have to go and do giant things. That there are the moments and the words that can ground you and bring you stronger and more secure mental health when, when we, when we see it and feel it.

Jeni Starr: 9:21

Yeah. Yes. Well, thank you for sharing that, Sondra.

Sondra Wallace: 9:26

Yeah, absolutely.

Jeni Starr: 9:27

I brought a book today. It was written for a different audience. It's a children's book and the title of it is"I Am In Charge of Celebrations" and the author is Bird Baylor. And this book was written in the 1980s, like 1986.

Sondra Wallace: 9:44

Wow.

Jeni Starr: 9:44

And I'm holding it right now and I wish I could show everyone the pictures, but they are totally eighties, the illustrations.

Sondra Wallace: 9:51

Yeah.

Jeni Starr: 9:52

Really beautiful though, and Bird Baylor lived in Arizona and was really inspired by Southwest Nature. So some of the illustrations kind of look deserty but I'm just gonna read the first two pages, which is not very long in a children's book to kind of set up this, this book and why I love it. So. It starts out,"sometimes people ask me, aren't you lonely out there with just desert around you? I guess they mean the bare grass and the yuccas and the cactus and the rocks. I guess they mean the deep ravines and the hawks nests in the cliffs and the coyote trails that wind across the hills. Lonely. I can't help laughing. When they ask me that. I always look at them surprised and I say, how could I be lonely? I'm the one in charge of celebrations." And the book just goes on to describe various experiences in nature and creating celebrations to go with them. And I learned of this book actually from I, I used to teach high school and I learned of this book from another high school teacher and she used it with her students and I started using it with mine. But it was a reminder that no matter what life is throwing at you, that you can find something to celebrate and you can be in charge of that. And I also think it's really important to share the connection of nature. And so that's interesting to me too, Sondra that your book and your scenario also had to do with nature. And nature can have a really big impact. We know there's a connection between our experiencing nature and our mental health.

Sondra Wallace: 11:30

That's so cool. I, I love that book, Jeni, but I had not made the connection with nature until you just said that, so thanks for bringing that to our attention. Wow.

Jeni Starr: 11:39

Yeah. As you read it, all the celebrations are about natural things, natural phenomenon that the, protagonist in the story experiences, so like a rainbow celebration day and celebrating a windstorm, and just different things like that. So, yeah.

Sondra Wallace: 11:55

Yeah. So a little bit different than what we maybe have historically or grown up thinking about as a celebration, right? It's not like a holiday. Is that correct? Am I understanding right?

Jeni Starr: 12:05

Correct. It's not an official holiday that you would see on the calendar. Yeah. But you can decide whatever day is, whatever holiday you would like it to be, and so it's very empowering, I think.

Sondra Wallace: 12:15

Yeah.

Jeni Starr: 12:16

And, and in the book, you know, the character. I don't know. The character doesn't have a name. It's just the main character. They, they do put the dates on the calendar, so.

Sondra Wallace: 12:28

Oh, really?

Jeni Starr: 12:29

Yeah.

Sondra Wallace: 12:30

That's so cool.

Jeni Starr: 12:31

So, I mean, they say August 9th is Rainbow Celebration Day, because that was the day they saw Triple Rainbow. In the desert.

Sondra Wallace: 12:39

Oh.

Jeni Starr: 12:39

So, you know, you can, you can commemorate it however you would like, or if you just wanna look at each day and find something to celebrate, that's also a choice, you know? Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm. Whatever works for you.

Sondra Wallace: 12:51

Yeah. Well, and what a complex idea, but simple idea, right? To identify something in your day to celebrate.

Jeni Starr: 13:03

Right. And in this book, they're all alone as far as a human companionship goes. And I think there are lots of times that we find ourselves on our own alone and in a situation, and we don't have to feel like that's an isolated place. It can find ways to connect with the world around you. Lot of deep levels in this children's book.

Sondra Wallace: 13:27

Yes. My goodness. My And and it just like you said. Yeah. It's a children's book. It's a like a picture paperback picture book, right?

Jeni Starr: 13:34

Yeah. It's a picture book.

Sondra Wallace: 13:35

Gosh. So cool. And I am so grateful, Jeni, that you had shared that book with me. I had, I was not familiar with it until you shared it with me a few years ago, and I, I have bought it and given it as gifts to people.

Jeni Starr: 13:48

Oh, yay.

Sondra Wallace: 13:49

So yeah.

Jeni Starr: 13:49

I give it as gifts too. It's just a sweet little book. Yes. Well, how exciting for us to talk about these two? Different types of words that inspired both of us and supported us in different ways. And that's kind of a taste of what this show is going to be. And this season's going to be, we've invited experts from Kansas City that are going to share, they're experts in different things, not always mental health. And they're gonna share a little bit about their background and their experiences and bring some sort of text that is meaningful to them.

Sondra Wallace: 14:23

I know it's gonna be great. And, and also just making the idea of mental health. We talked about this earlier even, that we all have mental health and we all need to strengthen it and foster it and grow it as we, as we, as we do our other physical health as well. So it'll be great experience.

Jeni Starr: 14:40

Absolutely. Thanks everyone for joining us today and we hope that you'll join us for the rest of this first season of our podcast.

Sondra Wallace: 14:48

Absolutely. Until next time, we challenge you to choose words that matter.

Jeni Starr: 14:54

Bye everyone. Take care. Thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoyed this episode of Power of Words.

Sondra Wallace: 15:05

This episode is produced by the Kansas City Public Library and Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City, with support from AmeriCorps.

Jeni Starr: 15:12

We encourage you to explore our health resources and services available in the show notes and follow or subscribe for new episodes wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.