Text below from Whispered Blessings ~ Copyrighted

Introduction

Grandparents whisper a blessing
in the ears of newly born babies,
“. . . You can be whatever you want to be.
You can make the impossible possible . . .”
—Momma Tee

       The impossible made possible is an idea, a principle, a mantra that was repeated to me over and over again throughout my childhood into my life as an adult. This mantra has been passed through my family throughout generations. Out of this mantra flows this compilation of stories that is a mixture of fact, fiction, and fantasy stirred with the tellers’ imagination. Capturing the human experience, stories in this collection go beyond the boundaries of generations, culture and faith traditions.
       I fell in love with stories listening to my elder sisters read to me—more times than I can count—The Story of Live Dolls, Momma Tee telling tales of strong queens and sharing the legend of a slight brown skinned woman facing down phantoms in the middle of the night and the anecdotal account of a Black man starting a school on the land that had been owned by former slave owners. Stories of the impossible being made possible, stories have always been a part of my life; stories are pivotal to my evolution.
        The stories in this collection have been used to set the tenor for conferences and to bring meetings to a thought-full conclusion. Stories can be used in business settings to motivate, to instruct, to demonstrate how to overcome difficulties, and to illustrate success. Mike and Phoebe, A Man Who Moved a Mountain, and The Legend of Susie Edwards have been used at conferences and meetings, because the theme—the impossible is made possible—is repeated in each one.
        Stories in this collection have been used in the political arena to demonstrate how with vision, courage, commitment, and faith change is possible. Each one of our elected representatives has a story of what motivated them to work on the behalf of all people. Politicians use stories as a vehicle to connect the issues, their philosophy, and their position to each individual voter. A Man Who Moved a Mountain, included in this collection, is a metaphor for an American’s journey to move a simple, responsible, ethical legislative bill through a rocky uphill journey to adoption.
        Educators and trainers have used stories from this collection to introduce a subject, to expand on a topic, to connect a student with their classmates and to entertain and delight the listener. A teacher reads a story and the students are captivated as each one listens to the story. The flexible teacher uses the story as a way to reach that child, or teen or adult who nods off or whose mind wanders during a lesson full of numbers, facts, and figures. The story is also a way to capture the attention of those who might be unresponsive to history told without the story.
       Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, PhD, training director at the Bay Area Family Therapy Associates (BAFTTA) in her second edition of Responding to the Culture of Bullying & Disrespect, uses Bubble Trouble to set up a discussion among educators about their beliefs and relationships about their own power. Stories bring lessons to life; lessons learned from stories last a lifetime.
        As ministry, the story is remembrance, an expression of gratitude and a celebration. All faith traditions are steeped in the remembrance of the Divine, that which is called many names yet cannot not be named, captured or defined within the context of our limited language. It is the story that sparks the transformation to living authentically as our selves; the story of human redemption, salvation, awakening; human transformation to the awareness that the Holy, the Sacred expresses as us. It is the story of human triumph over adversity that inspires us to keep on keeping on. The story is what moves us to open the door to possibility and stories of unconditional acceptance and love teach us how to embrace the other. The natural outflow of remembrance is gratitude; gratitude lifts us up then moves us to again remember our blessings. Every faith tradition has stories, rituals, celebrations and observations. Every tradition has rituals surrounding the birth of a child; rites of passage that mark the transformation from childhood to adulthood, sacred observances joining two people in marriage and holy customs marking the end of this life and the beginning of another. Stories of celebration are recalled though our rituals; stories of remembrance and gratitude remind us that life is a gift. Whispered Blessings stories inform, illuminate and inspire. These stories are ministry because they stir reflection, arouse gratitude and remind us to celebrate our blessings.

A good storyteller captures the listener’s attention;
a great storyteller engages the listener
and makes the story theirs.
—Momma Tee

       This journey through Whispered Blessings is a reflection and retelling of stories shared by Momma Tee. As the author of this collection, my role has been to imagine them in their fullness, capture them, and to write them down as quickly and as accurately as I can. Then share them with . . . everyone!
        Momma Tee’s walk was intentional and steady. “Our thoughts, words, and actions are living things; we must always consider their impact on all other living things.” With brushes made of words, Momma Tee filled my mind’s eye with delicious colors. The tempo of her words introduced my ears to rhythm and music that taught my imagination to play along. She knew and embraced her own power and she knew and used the power of the spoken and written word. She whispered a blessing in the ears of newly born babies,

You can be whatever you want to be.
You can do whatever you believe you can do.
If you have vision, if you are committed,
And if you have courage and faith,
You can make the impossible possible!     

       Telling stories and reading to children creates a bond that is difficult to break and if we get lost along the way, we can find our way home again through stories; they are for families seeking connection and love This collection of stories is meant to be read aloud, to be shared, and to be used by everyone.
        Teachers, tell your children all the stories, read to them; engage them in seeing how the journey has been traveled at another place and time. It is through the story that children explore possibilities, lay the world before them. Let their creativity fly—it is through the story and all of the arts in which children learn the essential quality of critical thinking. Parents, reading to your children and loving them unconditionally are among the most important things that you can do to prepare your child for the future that you will never see. The lessons, the messages, and the values that you share through stories will always stay with your children, becoming stories that they share with their children.
        I give you these stories for your heart, your ears, and for your spirit. Whispered Blessings stories provide a welcome break, a brief vacation from the constant 24/7 grasping, pulling, and seeking pace of today’s world. Some of the stories will tug at your heart. They may make you laugh, cry or stir you to reflection. These stories transcend faith, culture, gender, and generations. They are for anyone who has ever had an obstacle in their path, an ocean to cross, or a mountain to move. They are for those seeking inspiration, hope and a way to move beyond the familiar into the unknown.
        Sit back, relax and let the stories ahead take you on a journey to possibility.
        Mike and Phoebe is the story of love as a sacred trust, a commitment that could not be broken. It is a story that moves us to open the door to possibility. 
        Bubble Trouble engages children of all ages and demonstrates how just by using our minds we can turn something, anything, even a bubble into a whole lot of trouble.
        The Legend of Susie Edwards is held in the Story Bowl. The Story Bowl holds our family’s stories and has been in our family longer than our memories. Out of the Story Bowl pours a tale of strength and courage that has become one of our most enduring legends.
        A Man Who Moved a Mountain is the journey of an ordinary boy who, over the course of a lifetime, transforms a vision into an extraordinary reality. It is the story of how one person taught generations that if you have vision and courage, if you are committed and have faith, then you too can make the impossible possible.
       A Legacy: My Chat with a Nazi is a conversation between an African American woman and a Nazi. Impossible many have said, but the story demonstrates how through listening and a mutual willingness to let down barriers and remain open to possibility, how two people share a conversation that changes both of their lives.
       Whispered Blessings is for all those who have asked me more times that I can count about Momma Tee. Through Whispered Blessings it is my pleasure to introduce you to Momma Tee.
        Momma Tee, told me, “We should leave the world just a little better than we found it. Everything that we think, say, and do affects everyone else.” These stories are Momma Tee’s way and mine of making the world just a little better.
        Enjoy these stories that Momma Tee told me to tell you.

Beaudoin, Marie-Nathalie. Responding to the Culture of Bullying & Disrespect. Second Edition. Corwin Press, 2009, pps. xiv and 214.

Above text from Whispered Blessings ~ Copyrighted