Frances Leah King
Bio
I am a singer, a story teller on stage and in print, and a lover of family and nature.
Stories (34)
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The Farewell
Throughout my young adult years, I clung to what had been childhood traditions in an attempt to keep the rare moments of family celebration alive. But they were built by our mother, and though I didn't see it until years later, they were laced with her frantic drive for perfection in herself and her children. I loved the idea of the big meals and opening presents together, but none of it was free of stress or the anxiety of the need to please her.
By Frances Leah King27 days ago in Humans
What "Me" am I now
I have been listening to recorded meditations that ask me to repeat positive statements, and they all begin with "I". This has, for many years, felt wrong. I couldn't have explained why. But, "I am beautiful", "I am resilient", "I am capable", bounced around inside and felt false. The part that needed to be convinced didn't believe.
By Frances Leah King10 months ago in Humans
The Heart
My heart has become fragile. My emotional heart has always been an empathetic, sometimes achingly open, part of me. I can guard it, but its natural state is to be open and connected to those around me. On good days, I see it as my tiny superpower, and in my work with music (music can put our heart beats into sync, along with our breathing) and theatre I have done and do my best to open my heart to the things that connect us all, regardless of language or age or mood. We are linked by the chaotic act of being alive in human form.
By Frances Leah KingExclusive • 11 months ago
Insatiable
I have been living overseas for more than a year, and have watched the world through a refocused lens. I don't watch news, nor do I watch very many shows or films. I read news from a few sources, and I take my time. My input habits have changed, and without the constant media input, I have recognized how glutted we are with consumerism. Not just material possessions, though. We've found a way of making people who "like" us equal profit. We've found a way of monetizing everything...everything! "I have an idea about this or that, so I'll make a short video about it, and if I'm really lucky I'll go VIRAL! Then I can be an influencer and show you how I put on my mascara, or open a box full of the newest fad lipstick." As author Dave Ramsey said, "We buy things we don’t want with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like."
By Frances Leah Kingabout a year ago in Humans
Mourning an Ideal
Where to begin? I'm really not sure when education and common sense became wastes of time in the mass population of the US. People blame it on the internet and social media, but I think it started before that. The only thing social media did was speed up the effects of our choices.
By Frances Leah King2 years ago in History
A Comedy Misadventure
I have never had a very good sense of direction, and I can second guess my initial decisions and leave the right place to wander off somewhere, only to end up racing back to where I started, sweaty and unnerved. The panic that came with the getting lost is still with me, too.
By Frances Leah King2 years ago in Wander
