Friends that would be family, a

community that cares, a

government that functions, the genius

and hard work of research scientists, …

these are among reasons for gratitude …

instilling a simple Truth – restating it

again and again, through actions, small

and monumental: Each individual life

is worth harnessing our resources, investing

our efforts and labor, to give our

all, do everything we can … to

preserve and protect. One flower cannot

make a garden, but one,

another, another – the blossoming efforts

of character growth – a multitude,

planting their seeds of effort … soon

the garden becomes a landscaped wonder –

all in service of

each one, who does not stand alone, and

rises – all – from grounds of our being,

standing strong, enduring, contributing

to Nature our own…. Friends, neighbors, who are like

family, that constitutes a community of caring. A government

that works to serve the people –

in stress; life, livelihood threatened – a government, democratic, that

quietly, effectively comes to the rescue … a government

made up of individual flowers, rising

the color of their character, in our night,

processing the light of their knowledge and abilities

in order to blossom the beauty

of their

God-given spirit, to serve an essence

that is so exquisite, makes scents,

it is breathtaking to behold … an

essence we all share.

I have spent most of my life following my heart – earning a BA in Piano Performance from Oberlin College, and MS in Human Services-Counseling at National-Louis University. A pivotal moment in my life occurred after college, when I began to see the poetry in life, and write about what I saw. Every morning since then, I have pursued this passion. Writing poetry has been a way for me to begin to grasp life’s Author, and what well may be His love for us. I have lived in Evanston for 40 years – working on staff at Northwestern University, as a counselor in Student Affairs at National-Louis University, a pre-health advisor at Loyola University Chicago, and am now retired with my pandemic buddy, my beloved chocolate lab.