HAPPY NEW YEAR STRONGER from the green mountains of Vermont

Stronger
“Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger” ~ Albert Camus

It’s really so true whatever doesn’t kill me does make me stronger
... moving to Vermont twenty four years ago very much
made me stronger... yes, i cried, i screamed, i sulked,
i complained and i prayed to be done with all those less
than happy moods... then, i put
one foot in front of the other
and simply walked through people
who wanted me here walking out on me...

i walked through the dark, the cold, the loss of relatives,
the loss of easy winters, the fear of ice, the fear of isolation,
the dislike of neighbors and shop keepers who acted
like they never saw me before, when i was shopping
at their shops for seven to ten years.

i continued to walk and keep walking
even when i was so challenged i couldn’t easily really walk...
then i walked through bringing my mother here to Vermont,
15 minutes away, because i wanted to make sure she had the best life
possible as a widow for nine years... it asked a lot... i gave it all
and so did my husband... and my friends... we cared for her
as we cared for ourselves and our students relentlessly. we walked through all it brought on and even had a good time.

she was grateful... She helped us build the studio...
and so we walked through months of saw dust, paint,
hammering, yammering and banging to arrive at
a beautiful addition and plenty more space.
That’s the way it is
with whatever doesn’t kill you...  going through it, you get.

stronger and more vital... it makes more space, it’s a beautiful addition
and with all the yammering, banging and urge to quit,
complain, or fade away it’s all worth persisting through...
i know this... we were not born here to float... we were born to become who we are created to be.

it’s really true! STRONGER is who we are !!!!!
WISHING YOU A YEAR THAT MAKES
a DIFFERENCE... WHERE YOU
MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. WHERE EVER YOU ARE
... HAPPiest NEW YEAR!!!