Wini Yunker, who joined the Peace Corps at 65 and inspired me to write Defying Gravity, once told me that she couldn’t have done what she did on her own. When I was making plans to fly to Kentucky to interview her, she even insisted that I stay an extra day to meet some of the wonderful people who had helped her on her journey.
More people have helped me than I can count. Every person who has taken the time and trouble to tell me that they loved my book or has bothered to comment on this blog has spurred me on to keep writing. But first among my champions is my husband Michael. On August 8th, we'll have been married for thirty years. There’s a saying from the Talmud: “Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, ‘Grow, grow." Michael is that person for me.
I love that quote and it's lovely, lovely, lovely to apply it to your hsuband. Happy Anniversary!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie.
ReplyDeletewe share the same anniversary and were married one year after you 2! remember that long convo we had in your kitchen? YOU helped me so much. let's do it again. beach this time???
ReplyDeleteSorry about the belated reply, Liz. (I'm out of town and posting from my iPhone.). I'll toast to you on August 8th and, yes, would love to get together again.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful the Angel comment is. I would expect that of you and your writing. You are an angel too and when you wrote me up in this column, I felt as if an angel had touched me.
ReplyDeleteWhen we had our pharmacy, there was a little old black man Mr.Garland. He was a customer who came into the store with a big smile on his weathered old face but always had something to be happy about even though he had meager material possessions.
I worked there several days a week and when he saw me he said "there is my angel." Everyone would smile and chuckle because he was about 70 and I was about 40. My husband, the pharmacist and co-owner would shout from his position in the back of the store "Mr. Garland,stop flirting with my wife, you cannot run off with her. We have two small children."
Everyone would laugh and everyone was happy to see him and hear his comments.
One day we heard he had passed away and everyone was sad. I went out and bought myself an angel magnet and put it on the refrigerator to remind me of this happy soul.
There are angels around and you Pril are one of them and I try with my ballroom dancing blogs and websites and magazine articles to be an angel too and to inspire and encourage everyone to learn to ballroom dance for their health, their happiness and for their keeping their minds active.
Elita Sohmer Clayman, Baltimore, Md.