Who am I? I needed to write a bio for the publisher, and for some reason, I couldn’t figure out where to start. I’ve done all kinds of exciting things including traveling across the country more times than I can count and having work opportunities that allowed me to explore South America and Europe. I’ve founded two small businesses and have met fascinating people from all walks of life who have touched me in some profound ways. But as exciting as all of that may be, these are only my experiences—the experiences are not me.

As I stared at the blank page in front of me, I thought, Who am I at this moment?  It seemed a more manageable question, and with that, I began to write. I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and a sister. I am a singer, a songwriter, an entrepreneur, a friend, a lover of people, animals, and nature. Plus, I love learning. I also have been a passionate writer since I was a kid, and it is that love that led me to author Let My Legacy Be Love, A Story of Discovery and Transformation: Tracing Adult Issues to Childhood Hurts. It is not the book I intended to write, but it is the book I wrote.

Some may call me a nerd since two of my favorite things to do are to think and to analyze. As an example, when I was a kid, I became fascinated by the idea of the formation of a pearl. My grandmother told me that the pearl is created by a grain of sand that has found its way into the shell of an oyster thereby causing irritation. I remember her explaining that to lessen the annoyance, the oyster secretes a liquid which in time hardens into a smooth, luminescent creation. Ultimately, the pearl is sought after for its unique beauty. So, as my life has progressed, I have tried to look at my challenges from the perspective of the oyster forming a pearl. In other words, the aggravating and exasperating events were my teachers, and in the long run, I would be stronger and more beautiful as a result.

I’m also a lover of long walks in nature. I am blessed to live in a rural area surrounded by trees and winding country roads. There is one hill close by where the mountains in the distance swim in a purple haze, and I swear, it is there that I feel like I can touch the sky.

When I finish, I hold up my bio and smile. It may not be a typical bio, but it’s a pretty good indication of who I am.

So, enough about me. Who are you? The only thing I know for sure about you is that you are not your experiences. You are something far greater and more beautiful. You are a pearl in the making. I can say that with confidence because I am, too! In the most important ways, you are no different than me. You and I are human beings living, loving and doing our best, sometimes struggling to overcome our challenges and understand ourselves, but we do our best every day. And we’re in this together. So, let’s make the most of it. Let Our Legacy Be Love!