Authors address spiritual aspect of parenting

Three years ago Tracy Springberry organized a service at her church. In it adults from the congregation shared their own experiences, trials and joys as parents. The service left many of the people in the room in tears.

“When it was over people were very moved,” Springberry said. “I realized then that there was a need for this kind of thing,”

Springberry, who is a faculty grant writer at Eastern Washington University and is studying to be a Unitarian minister, wrote a book proposal and began to craft a plan for the book.

With a busy lifestyle, and three young sons to raise, Springberry’s project moved slowly until Spokane author Sarah Conover got wind of it.

“When I heard about it I knew it had potential and said I wanted to be a part of it,” she said.

Conover, the mother of two teens – a son and a daughter – and a teacher at Spokane Valley High School, has written three books for children: “Kindness: A Treasure of Buddhist Tales and Wisdom for Children and Parents,” “Daughters of the Desert: Stories of Remarkable Women from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim Traditions,” and “Beautiful Signs: A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents.”

With Conover’s help Springberry’s book project got back on track and the two spent the next year contacting nationally known authors, as well as recognized local authors, seeking contributions to the book.

Both found the experience of editing and compiling the submissions enriching.

“When the essays came in and we read them I knew we had something wonderful,” Conover said. “And in the process of editing, reading and re-reading, I was struck again and again by the gifts, and the lessons, of the writers.”

The essays, 26 in all with two contributed by Conover and Springberry, are diverse. Some, like the opening essay titled “Life,” by Alexandra Fuller – the tale of the birth of the author’s first child in Zambia – are peppered with humor, four letter words and graphic images. Others, like “Civil Disobedience” by Barbara Kingsolver, take a lighter look at the duality of longing for independence and treasuring the bonds that hold us tightly to the one we love.

Some, like “At Blackhorse Lake” by Jonathan Johnson, are exquisitely poignant.

Local authors include novelist Jess Walter who writes about lessons learned in the faith of those he loves; Ken Nisbet whose illustrated story of contact between natives of the Inland Northwest and the British Fur Trade is currently on display at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture; and poet and Gonzaga faculty member D.S. Butterworth writes about finding the sacred in the ordinary facets of life around us.

The women were surprised and pleased by the response of the authors. “Everyone who heard about this wanted to contribute,” Springberry said. “Even authors who couldn’t contribute, who were busy or just weren’t available, said they thought it was a wonderful idea.”

Now that the book is out and will be available in stores this week, Conover and Springberry are reflective about what they gained as collaborators.

“Any time you are involved in this kind of creative experience you learn,” Conover said. “Editing the work of others and having someone edit your work, enriches you.”

And although the book addresses the spiritual side of parenting, Springberry says that spirituality is a concept that is open to interpretation.

When asked if a previously published chapter from a nonfiction book could be included, one author was surprised that the women considered the piece to be at all spiritual.

The essay, “2:45” by Marion Winik, is about the act of picking up children from school and other daily tasks of parenting.

“At the end (of the essay) she says, ‘All was right with my world,’ ” Springberry said. “I think that is a very spiritual moment.”

For Conover, an important lesson at the heart of the book is just how much parents learn from both the act of parenting, and from the children themselves.

“Reading these essays, and reflecting on what I’ve learned from my own children,” Conover said, “I see how our children lead us on our spiritual journey.”

“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘who’s raising who?’ “