Preface- Jeanne Ripley

The poetry for this book started as a playful experience. I wrote what the image evoked. The words came from deep places of pain and frustration, from family and friends, poets, counselors, books, travel and workshops.

Change began inside and was slow in arriving. I started to see my life as a process of becoming me. I hope that our book will inspire you to reflect: to go within and to find your own light.

It was towards the end of the manuscript, that I began to sense that some pieces had a theme of darkness or fear. This group was titled, Don’t Find Me. The second group expresses an awakening of possibilities and is titled, Seeing Differently. Celebration of Life holds a lightness of spirit and an increasing awareness of the reasons to be grateful. Finding Your Wings leads you to explore your own potential and the possibilities for each of us when we uncover our wings.