The inspiration tree...
My friend, Margaret, sent me this card for my birthday and it holds such meaning for me. I'm like that tree and despite being so grateful for good strong roots...ancestral and immediate family, one and all, I realize that I'd be nothing without the friendships I have, filling out the leaves of the many branches that represent the journeys and pathways I've taken in life. Some of my friends go back to the early times...Willa and Mary Ann, who I've known since I was six or so; Saundra, who became my friend when I was twelve (we promised to be each others maid of honour at our weddings and we were); Jan and Cathie who I met in high school...we've survived marriages, childbirths, divorces and life ever since; another Jan from Toronto Teacher's College; Sue who stood by me during some rough years and stands by me to this day; Veronica and Diane from early Folk at the Forum days and good years beyond; Greg, Peter, Maryruth, Berylanne, Janet, Meg, Bonnie, Barb, Brenda, Margaret, Bruce, Betty, Tom, Susanne, David and Julie...my wonderful school staff family (how I miss the laughter that resounded down those halls); Deb, a volunteer in my classroom for years...a woman with a huge laugh and a huge heart; Mell, who I first taught with and shared child-rearing days with; Liz in Australia; great neighbours who hug and cook fabulous food; new online friends scattered about the globe that I've met through my blog and theirs and even more incredible friends on flickr, through the magic of photographs...this would be one long post if I mentioned you all by name, but you know who you are and you know how special you've become to me, from New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, England, Wales, Scotland, Germany, The Netherlands, the US and coast to coast in Canada.
Walt Whitman had his Leaves of Grass...I'll take a tree with leaves of friendship, ever green, ever growing, ever inspirational.
* card credit goes to erica of warmfuzzcards.com
