The artichoke became a teaching lesson when Judy, with her young family, moved into military housing in California to find artichokes in their yard. Given that it takes two years for the vegetable to flower, the original gardener never got to see the seeds of her labor. This resonated with Judy as she realized that many times, our actions and reactions in life are felt by people we will never meet, but we plant the seeds of kindness anyway. The symbol of the artichoke has great meaning in her teaching and writing. As she works with families, she frequently only sees the outer edges that are exposed and can be prickly, hard to open and sometimes bitter to the taste. They are closed to new ideas or methods. Many families prefer the known over the unknown, even when the old patterns and skills are not serving them well. But, as you expose the artichoke and people to warmth, caring, and time, gradually the leaves begin to open and expose the real treasure—the heart.Judy maintains an active blog as well as an active social media presence. You can find Judy on Twitter at twitter.com/judyhwright, Facebook at facebook.com/judyhwright, Blogs www.JudyHWright.com, www.AskAuntieArtichoke.com , www.EmpowermentWithJudy.com and www.IfDeathIsNear. Her Website and Books are at www.artichokepress.com.
Listed skills include Public Speaking, Teaching, Parent Education, Social Media, and 41 others.
