Since I was a little girl, I’ve been on a kind of mental metamorphosis contemplating how each generation was supposedly built on the accomplishments of the last. I’ve decided I got my courage, my sense of self, and all my primal

values from my mom. I got my imagination, my sense

of humor, and my creativity from my pops. Also, like

them I am not brilliant, prolific, or have unwavering

talent. My best quality is my stubborness. Second best

is my gift of wild wonder I never seemed to lose. There are

many things we just couldn’t wrap our heads around

like politics, math and failure. It takes a lot of hope

and “let’s try anyway” to live in our world.

When bogged down with should and shouldn’ts,

as well as do and don’ts, our will and imagination

takes over. We lived like magicians who rejoice

in making the invisible visible.

My mom was a seamstress and my pops was a

mechanic and inventor. As for me, getting the

right words in the right sentence at the right time

can be gratifying as using my imagination to

produce a sculpture, pot or vase. I’ve found passing time

thinking, researching and fulfilling my own

potential makes my heart sing and my eyes bulge

with excitement. This labor of love is like being wrapped

in the arms of angels. I am encouraged by Pablo

Picasso who tells us, “Every child is born an artist.”

Maybe, just maybe, I am an artist, too. Although

I am master of none, I do seem to be "jack of all."

Peace and happiness for many of us does not always

depend on faith, moral virtue, still less on money.

Although wealth and all the delightful things money

can buy makes us happy, it cannot keep us happy

like bringing our true purpose to fruition.

I’ve decided I got my courage, my sense of self, and all my primal values from my mom. I got my imagination, my sense