My siblings and I loved to get our mother going, telling stories of her early life and those of her parents and grandparents, when we were supposed to be doing chores.
Those stories formed the homestead of my life and made me see that I am part of a bigger, grander Story.
The characters in those stories are very real to me, even now that I am in my sixties. For example, I feel that I know my grandmother, down to her low chuckle, though she died before I was born.
Both the strengths and weaknesses of those people form me. The strengths, such as faith, courage, and loyalty, give me values to reach for, continually. And the weaknesses give me understanding, compassion,and yes, hope, as I look to the bigger Story.
I was inspired to create this drawing and poem after a visit to my mother's birthplace in Aurora, Nebraska in 1984.
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