Wisdom Lessons

At once plainspoken and lyrical, Grandmother Mary offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in living a healthy, happy life in alignment with their higher self.

According to Great-grandmother Mary Lyons, smiles and laughter are good medicine, and every day offers new opportunities to set yourself on the path to a happy life. Raised on an Ojibwe reservation in northern Minnesota and experiencing first-hand the challenges of alcohol and drug addiction, Mary Lyons wrestled with her own demons as she learned from Native elders and her ancestors how to live a positive, fulfilled life. Now a tireless advocate for fostered, adopted and at-risk children from all backgrounds, she travels and teaches internationally, passing on the wisdom from her indigenous tradition. "The teachings in Wisdom Lessons are for anyone looking for help in understanding life, as well as support in moving forward," Lyons says. "I believe these teachings will be of benefit to people of any age and any background, from a young child to the eldest person on the planet, no matter the color of their skin or their religion or culture." Mary Lyons offers her Wisdom Lessons as short poems and prose pieces, many growing out of her extensive experience with the negative effects of alcohol and drug addiction, including her own recovery as well as her years of fostering and adopting children with family problems, disabilities and fetal alcohol syndrome. At once plainspoken and lyrical, Grandmother Mary offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in living a healthy, happy life in alignment with their higher self.

Great-Grandmother Mary Lyons, Ojibwe Elder from Minnesota, is a spiritual advisor, storyteller and wisdom keeper. She travels and teaches internationally with the Indigenous Grandmothers of the Sacred We, a pan-indigenous group led by Sufi teacher Devi Tide. She is the founder of the Minnesota Coalition on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, an Indian Child Welfare Act Expert Witness and a Native American Family and Child Advocate for the Tribes. She was a keynote speaker at the Parliament of World Religions in Utah and at the People's Climate March in New York City in 2014. She is a winner of the Congressional Angels in Adoption Award, nominated by Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota. She currently serves as a counselor for the women's sobriety group Women of Wellbriety International, which she co-founded. Grandmother Mary was one of many Native children removed from her home and placed in an institution; she has first-hand experience of the negative effects on children and families of alcohol and drug addiction. After her own recovery, guided by her ancestors, she has dedicated her life to helping others, including fostering and adopting many children with family difficulties, disabilities and fetal alcohol syndrome.