Hugs All Around: An Outreach Story

I've done
a TON
of outreach last week ...
and there is always more

and

i

love it:

No sooner had I sat down in the "teacher's chair"
one Boy has something to say
"What is it?" I ask
"You're hot!!" he says, and gives me a hug
small Girl and big Boy both follow his lead
"Thank you.  Nice to meet you . . . I'm Miss Hayley, and I'm from the Library..."


Sometime after I bring out the Library's burping frog puppet:

little Girl says seriously, "I'm inviting you to my birthday party."
"Did you all like that? ... (I make eye contact with Girl) Thank you. (I look away to attend 
to a different, needing "friend.")

At the end of the visit, little Girl states: "See you at my party."
Another Sweet Child hugs me good-bye

Hugs All Around
... we all needed them

Leadership as Described by Alton Chung

"I see my role as that of facilitator, i.e. to ask a lot of questions, to ensure that everyone knows what everyone else is doing, and to hold the space for what we would like to become."

Chairperson Alton Chung from the National Storytelling Network
in Storytelling Magazine Jan/Feb/Mar 2012