When it comes to whatB次元官网网址檚 important in life, Trudy Spiller believes family is everything.
Growing up the third youngest of nine siblings, Spiller lived in a three-room house with no bathroom, electricity or running water. To bring the young family together, SpillerB次元官网网址檚 grandmother would light a lamp, and tell stories from the Gitxsan Nation, which Spiller is from.
After storytime, her grandmother would say B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e given you my knowledge, youB次元官网网址檙e my knowledge keepers. You know the stories so you can pass them along to your children.B次元官网网址�
Now, the 61-year-old Colwood resident is doing just that with the release of her latest childrenB次元官网网址檚 book.
TrudyB次元官网网址檚 Rock Story, which includes illustrations by Jessika von Innerebner, teaches kids what to do with their anger. ItB次元官网网址檚 about a girl who B次元官网网址� instead of lashing out B次元官网网址� goes for a walk, finds a rock and diverts her negative energy into the rock, which she later buries as a way of letting go of her anger.
B次元官网网址淭here are so many children who donB次元官网网址檛 know what to do with their anger. They donB次元官网网址檛 know who to talk to or they donB次元官网网址檛 want to talk to someone so they use angry actions,B次元官网网址� said Spiller, who has been making presentations to students across the Sooke School District about traditional Gitxsan plants, medicine, food and dress for more than three years. She usually ends the presentations by giving each student a rock to divert their energy if necessary.
B次元官网网址淲e divert that negative energy into the rock, hold it until youB次元官网网址檙e ready to give it back, it might be a few days it might be a long time, but always knowing the rock is something you can give back to mother earth and that mother earth will deal with all of that negative energy.B次元官网网址�
Spiller believes in todayB次元官网网址檚 hectic society, many families donB次元官网网址檛 get to spend as much quality time together. She hopes her book will teach children to talk to their parents when theyB次元官网网址檙e upset and therefore bring families closer together.
B次元官网网址淲e need to go back to the old ways and talk to kids, and find other ways to deal with anger, sadness and loss,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淔amily means being a family and talking as a family rather than trying to get a couple of minutes of family time in between TV, iPads and computers.B次元官网网址�
TrudyB次元官网网址檚 Rock Story can be found online at
Like us on and follow us on
