There´s a sad sort of clanging from the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple too
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird
Is popping out to say “cuckoo”  ~Oscar Hammerstein II

It’s been a little less than four years since a news editor at the Daily News Journal asked if they could carry my blog in the local paper. The main editor echoed the request as he explained the desire of the paper to carry local writers and focus on local happenings. For me, a writer, it was a wonderful opportunity to share the thoughts that seemed to flood my head daily with people who might want to hear what I had to say. In the early days, I worried about whether people liked what I wrote, and I worried that with the departure of each writer I might be next. I have stayed through many changes and will always support the existence of ‘real’ newspapers. “So Long, Farewell” was one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movies. Long beyond my first champagne, I am saying Farewell — for now.

In the almost four years since I began sharing Sunday mornings with you, I’ve had a son move halfway across the country and the other son marry. I’ve gained a daughter (in-law), my husband has retired, and my mother has just kept on loving me no matter what mess I might get myself into. You readers have become a part of my family, as many have regularly shared what my words have meant in your lives.

Each week, I’ve offered a quote that guided my writing and was intended to guide your week. Oscar Wilde’s words, “Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary” were some of my favorite words to share. You, faithful readers, never have treated me as if I were ordinary, and I have loved you for that kindness. Remember that you deserve to be treated as more than ordinary, too.

As you find yourself sitting safely in your part of the world, maybe even judging the errors of others from the comfort of your desk, I hope you’ll remember Albert Einstein’s words, ““The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” I would encourage you to remember the power you and I have when we choose to take action.

Maybe the words that I believe we most need to hear are those of Joseph Campbell. “The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come… We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Friends, I hope that you, as I have, will allow yourselves the gift of being able to shed old skin when necessary and make room for the new experiences and understanding of things and people in life. I like to think we are just building on our best self, getting rid of the parts of ourselves that hold us back and welcoming the new improved version.

Life is full of change — some welcome, some not. Through it all, we take with us the people who have shown us great kindness and those who have freely offered criticism. Sometimes, parting ways comes because there is so much good to be done in the world that a person must choose one bit of good over another. I hope that you and I might cross paths while I’m working to bring more good. I’ll still be writing and listening to feedback of one sort or another, but for today…