What memories sustain you?

I never think about my memories as sustaining me, but rather as experiences that dovetail together and contribute to who I am today. Of course, there were the days of my youth when all the body parts worked without complaining. And my farming years, that ever-rich, hard, close to the earth and rewording work of my young adult years remain forever in my heart and senses. Then there was the children’s retreat program I founded and ran for 26 years that remains a source of joy and pride for me personally. More recently, I retired five years ago from working as a Youth Advocate for 31 years locally, a job and a passion I enjoyed greatly each and every year of my tenure.

As I look back over the years I consider myself very fortunate to have had meaningful employment that oftentimes didn’t feel like work at all―all blessing I give thanks for often.