✍️ Who is writing your grandchild’s story?
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Dear Family, I drank my coffee, staring at a folder of school reports and case notes after the end of a long school year. My grandchildren didn’t just come to me with a suitcase of clothes; they arrived with a "backpack of labels." Traumatized. Behind. Dysregulated. As the Invisible CEO of this mission, my first instinct is to manage those labels. I look at the legal paperwork and the visitation schedules, and I try to "fix" the wreckage of other people's choices. But today, after speaking with Kate Markland, I realized I’ve been acting as the director of a story I didn't write. The Raw Truth: Taking the Pen Back Kate Markland’s journey began in a place of total powerlessness. She was mocked in court and told she had only one hour a week on FaceTime with her son, Gabriel. She could have spent that hour mourning the loss of control, but instead, she asked a radical question: "Do you want to be the hero of your own story?"
Together, they created a magical world called Coral Cove. They turned their shared hour into a #1 Amazon bestseller, but more importantly, they turned Gabriel from a "case file" into a hero.
It hit me that the blank page isn't a literacy problem; it’s a voice problem. When the system tries to tell our grandkids who they are, our most powerful executive move isn't management—it’s being a Scribe. It’s holding the pen while they find the hero inside themselves.
Inside the Project: Episode 125 This Week’s Guest: Kate Markland | Reclaiming the Narrative: Scribing the Hero’s Journey In this episode, Kate takes us through her StoryQuest™ methodology. We discuss how to move a child from the "fear brain" to the "creative brain," the power of the "Verbal Handshake," and why we must stop correcting our children's stories if we want them to find their own truth. [🎧 LISTEN TO EPISODE #125: Kate Markland] The Reflection RoomI want you to sit with this today: Are you listening to manage your grandchild’s behavior, or are you listening to hear their story? When we stop being the "Director" and start being the "Scribe," we move the child from survival mode into a more grounded identity. Ask your grandchild today: "If you were the hero of a story, what would your superpower be?" Then, don't correct them—just write it down. The Toolbox: Tactical Moves
We are 2.7 million strong. Still nurturing, and still here. We are taking the pen back from the systems that try to silence us. Keep nurturing, keep leading, and I’ll see you in the next boardroom. Laura Brazan Founder, The 2.7 Million Project/Host of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity |
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