Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day and giving thanks
Dear Neighbors:
I wish you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day, and I would
like to take this opportunity to tell you how dear you all are to me.
I have known a few of you forever, from the very beginning; goodness we have been through a lot together. Others became a part of my life in junior school or high school. I am so happy that so many of my old school friends are still a part of my life, even if we have not seen each other in many years.
Then there are the folks who I first met in this town as we all waited for our children to be released from elementary school; deepening our relationships at birthday parties, orchestra practices, charity events, and music gigs.
Some of you came into my life because we have danced or played music together; our ties are strong because of the many hours we have spent together memorizing steps, learning notes, and sharing our nervous energy during performances.
Then there are the wine folks. My husband is a winemaker and the people in our region who are involved in grape growing and wine making are a tightknit group. We attend each other’s winery openings, tastings and events, share knowledge, and lend each other equipment. And yes, like all good neighbors do, we lend each other sacks of sugar!
Many of you are part of the KidLit (children’s literature) community, which I became a part of more than twenty years ago. In this latter group, I have, alas only met a few of you in person, but thanks to email and social media I have got to know you at least a little bit. Many of you have pets, and since I have always had a superfluity of animals in my life, we have the love of our animals in common. Some of you are musicians, and that has added a layer of common interest to our connection. All of you are book mad and fiercely determined to give younger readers wonderful books to read that will enrich their lives, open their minds, and spark their imaginations.
I believe that my relationship with many of you has deepened because of adversity. Many of you have been my stalwart champions as I have battled health issues. We have supported each other through all kinds of losses, and during Covid the messages and photos we have shared were a lifeline. The coming years are going to be full of challenges, but we have each other to rant to, to share ideas with, and to lean on.
Bless you, and know that I greatly appreciate you.
I have known a few of you forever, from the very beginning; goodness we have been through a lot together. Others became a part of my life in junior school or high school. I am so happy that so many of my old school friends are still a part of my life, even if we have not seen each other in many years.
Then there are the folks who I first met in this town as we all waited for our children to be released from elementary school; deepening our relationships at birthday parties, orchestra practices, charity events, and music gigs.
Some of you came into my life because we have danced or played music together; our ties are strong because of the many hours we have spent together memorizing steps, learning notes, and sharing our nervous energy during performances.
Then there are the wine folks. My husband is a winemaker and the people in our region who are involved in grape growing and wine making are a tightknit group. We attend each other’s winery openings, tastings and events, share knowledge, and lend each other equipment. And yes, like all good neighbors do, we lend each other sacks of sugar!
Many of you are part of the KidLit (children’s literature) community, which I became a part of more than twenty years ago. In this latter group, I have, alas only met a few of you in person, but thanks to email and social media I have got to know you at least a little bit. Many of you have pets, and since I have always had a superfluity of animals in my life, we have the love of our animals in common. Some of you are musicians, and that has added a layer of common interest to our connection. All of you are book mad and fiercely determined to give younger readers wonderful books to read that will enrich their lives, open their minds, and spark their imaginations.
I believe that my relationship with many of you has deepened because of adversity. Many of you have been my stalwart champions as I have battled health issues. We have supported each other through all kinds of losses, and during Covid the messages and photos we have shared were a lifeline. The coming years are going to be full of challenges, but we have each other to rant to, to share ideas with, and to lean on.
Bless you, and know that I greatly appreciate you.
The art above is by Anita Jeram, the wonderful children's book illustrator.
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