Barker Cane Land

Healing a Child's Divorce Grief

A story by Jeanne M. Colombo Esq.

Gallery

Click each image below to see the image larger and see sample book text.

Chapter One: Grandma's Attic<br><br>“I just want this Grief and Sadness of my Parents' Divorce to Stop!”<br /><br>“How can my parents be splitting up? How do I get this heart break to end? It actually physically hurts. I don't know how I can bear all of this. My world is crashing.”

All of a sudden, he remembers his Grandma's delight in telling him what fun she had collecting the Barker Canes as prizes at the old traveling carnival fairs, when she was a young girl. And here they all were together, as if they were waiting for something, or someone. <br /><br />He looks closer. He sees the Canes are porcelain heads of different animals and objects, with tassels, on long wooden sticks. One Barker Cane seems to move ever so slightly. “<i>Did I really see that?</i>” the Lad quizzically wonders to himself. The Cane seems to be beckoning to the Young Lad. The Horse leans forward towards the Barker Canes. <br /><br />The almost imperceptible movement of the Barker Cane is enough to make the boy grab for the Cane, an Elephant. <br /><br />As he holds the smooth band of the long cane, he too is rendered ‘magical’. His plea brings the magic of the Canes to the fore. Whoosh, Magic, Lights, Rainbow Colors, and Fireworks illuminate the air and walls in the attic. <br /><br />Out of the antique stoneware crocks, the porcelain Barker Canes all rise. They dance and hover in the air. They all look alive!

Chapter Two: The Midway<br /><br />Boom! All of a sudden...all stop!<br /><br />He knows he is finally safe. He opens one hazel eye with golden flecks, then the other.<br /><br />He rubs his eyes, as he lets go of the Elephant Cane, which rises in the air. He is at a traveling carnival fair in the year 1946!

“Wow!” the boy exclaims as he slides off the Carousel Horse.<br /><br />The other Canes float to the Young Lad, all emanating dazzling and shimmering light. He can feel that they are full of happiness and joyfulness. The Canes seem limitless, and somehow divine, to the Young Lad.

So, as the Barker man said, “Step up, aim well, throw the ball, and hit your mark. The prize will be in your grasp, be revealed, and then will be yours to take home.”<br /><br />The Young Lad softly takes the ball. He tosses it up and down in his hand, getting the feel of it. He is thinking about his conflicted feelings. He takes a deep breath, steadies himself, focuses on the hole in the booth wall, and drills the ball into the bull’s eye. He lets out a satisfied shout, “Yes!” and relaxes just a bit.

Chapter Five: The Pig Cane<br /><br />The Young Lad, who now is deeply lost in his thoughts and trying to absorb the advice of the Barker Canes, hears, “Heads up!” as a Barker's Midway ball comes hurtling at him. At the last moment, he catches the ball. The Pig Cane travels towards him. “Lots to figure out, huh? Well get ready for it, as there is an abundance of more to come.” <br /><br />“I am Zesty. I know stuff.” <br /><br />Zesty smiles, nods, and snorts, “Out of the Grief, we truly learn to see. So, Young Lad, actually try it: Imagine you are breathing out the darkness of Grief, and in the Light of Love. Again, breathe out the Grief, and breathe in the Love. Your breath is the bridge to your happiness, your zest for life.” <br /><br />The Pig Cane squeals knowingly with pleasure, and ends his conversation with, “Mark my words, it is Your Life, Your Light. No situation, even a divorce, can take you away from your beautiful Self.”

Chapter Seven: The Elephant Cane<br /><br />The Elephant’s eyes are twinkling with laughter. He says, “Wisdom is simple. Lighten up. Healing comes from being together through a difficult time. Even if ‘together’ is one parent at a time.”<br /><br />”Kindness and laughter create cups of Love. Love shows you your self-worth. Love creates your inner Power! Your Power creates Joy and Bliss, and those put you in your own sparkling, shimmering Light.“

Book

Barker Cane Land is Healing a Child's Grief caused by the Parents' Divorce through the spiritual wisdom and practical advice gathered from the Barker Canes. These brightly painted carnival prizes from a 1946 Midway burst forth to magical life to help the Young Lad deal with his anxiety, stress and sadness.

This Journey Out of Grief occurs due to the miraculous Barker Canes' practical tips, sprinkled with Laughter and Love. Like it is said in Barker Cane Land, “Step up, aim well... 'the prize will be in your grasp!'”

Barker Cane Land is a lovely book, imaginatively and vibrantly illustrated, which uniquely focuses on the young person's perspective in a divorce, instead of the parents'. The children need champions. The Barker Canes figuratively, and literally, rise to the occasion, having returned to their carnival surroundings, and having taken the Young Lad with them, to enjoy all the uplifting sights, sounds and feelings of the fair.

The spiritual wisdom of the mystical Barker Canes is focused on the child's view of the grief that splatters all over when parents' separate the family. Barker Cane Land is definitely a gift for a young person who wants humor, magic and love to conquer the grief of separation due to the needs of the parents to find their own individual paths. The Barker Canes with practical, down to earth, techniques uplift the child out of worry and loss. They talk directly to this young person's soul. By traveling back in time, he is given perspective, to help him cope with the challenges of life.

The purpose of the book is to present a complicated and difficult subject in a transcendent way. The Barker Canes each have their own take on helping the Young Lad, Tryon, look at his situation, and that of his family, and find his way forward to being healed.

The Barker Canes are each unique. Allegiance, the Dog Cane, speaks of devotion and loyalty to family. Glory, the Horse Cane, is the warrior who conveys confidence and power. Zesty, the Pig Cane, explains inner courage and family support. Roma, the Dice Cane, delivers the Crystal Ball of the future and positive change. Finally, the Grand Presence, the Elephant Cane, imparts the wisdom of Love and Light.

The Grand Presence gently explains how the darkness of Grief can be pushed out of a Heart, and how a person can take back the Light through the flow and grace of Love.

Barker Cane Land is a present that each parent needs to give to the children when entering the world of divorce and separation. The themes also will help guide the parent, and can provide everyone involved with straight forward insight in an engaging, uncomplicated and gentle way.

Come join the Barker Canes. Step up and win the Prize for yourself and your family.

This book is Jeanne's gift to the children of her clients.

Benefits

Here are some of the benefits to be considered when experiencing the magical carnival ride to family heart connection found in Barker Cane Land.

Parents
Providing a safe space to start the divorce conversation with your child
Learning to understand your child's emotional point of view
Empowering your child to deal with anxiety, sadness and grief that is an effect of divorce
Helping your child gently handle the various divorce challenges with some humor, and definitely, with kindness
Imparting practical strategies to pull through the family break-up

Children
Recognizing and acknowledging your own feelings about your parents' split-up
Reminding your parents how they act towards each other effects you
Using the exercises and your family support systems to cope with your divorce emotions
Affirming that your parents' separation is not your fault
Empowering you with laughter and love to find constructive ways to conquer the divorce turmoil for yourself

Reviews

Barker Cane Land is a great, fast read! The wonderful illustrations reflect the words of wisdom of the magical Barker Canes, midway carnival prizes, which offer practical techniques on how to come out on the other side of divorce grief from the point of view of young people, like me.
- Justin W, Rochester NY

Barker Cane Land is a gift to children of divorcing parents. The lessons are imparted by magical and spiritual Barker Canes, the prizes from the old carnival midways. The Dog (Allegiance), the Horse (Glory), the Elephant (the Grand Presence), and all the rest are truly amazing. A Brilliant Surprise.
- Renee P, Naples FL

As a child who survived my parents' break up, I wish I had access to this magical book as a reference resource. This is a straightforward, but kind way to impart wisdom on this difficult subject. There are very useful lessons on coping with stress, anxiety and loss. Quite helpful!
- Jessica S, Penfield, NY

Where to Buy

Author

Jeanne M. Colombo, Esq. is an attorney with over four decades of "in the trenches" experience in the matrimonial field of law. She has litigated, collaborated and negotiated for thousands of her clients in the complex world of divorce and custody. Jeanne has helped restructure, reestablish, and repair many a family.

Jeanne M. Colombo Esq.

Attorney & Author

colombolawoffice.com

Illustrator

My Mother, Rosemary DeLuca, would tell me as a child I had an imagination that could dive into any world. I didn't realize exactly what she meant until I was older and began to discover my unique style and versatility. From a very young age I was telling stories with my drawings & paintings; and began to develop an illustrative style that allowed me to capture, and communicate, the vision of other people's desires and dreams.

Michael DeLuca

Illustrator

oosal.com

Contact

Address
Jeanne M. Colombo Esq.
774 Monroe Ave
Rochester, NY 14607

Email
author@barkercaneland.com

Website
colombolawoffice.com

CLARA
nycollaborativelaw.com/professionals/jeanne-m-colombo/