Hi Angela,

I must first tell you how much I enjoy your personal notes about raising and enjoying your family. There is a real sense that you have your priorities very well ordered. Your sense of humor with the events of child rearing, enjoying time with your spouse, and the obvious adventures of living are delightful. I do look forward to reading these excerpts as they occur in the life of the Hoy family. Perhaps it is because I’m watching my own Gen X children as they are in that “nesting” stage of life with family and careers making those priorities a way of life and security for my own young grandchildren.

Writing is a passion (along with photography). What you so often share in this newsletter is that to actually write comes with purpose and joy. Even in the simple things of sharing our stories with our family. I love the ideas that you presented for gifts. It is something our family of origin has passed on in writing journals and our histories.

I have been writing short stories of myself and my late husband’s life to give one day to my family. My husband died when my children were 9 and 7 so there is a whole piece of history they did not know about him as an adult. I found a book in Walmart a long time ago which was filled with interesting prompts – a book that was titled something like Reflections from a Mother’s Heart–which I have found so useful in my writing – prompts like “What did it look like from your bedroom window?” or “Who was your favorite teacher?” or “What was it like on Christmas or Thanksgiving?” I just love these prompts because, first of all they make me recall things I’d not thought about for a long time. Secondly, some of what I write are memories that are historically based -I’m a product of the 60’s and was in a Senior in HS when President Kennedy was shot in Dallas – so I write from a perspective that details events from a personal viewpoint.

Perhaps the greatest gift we can give our families is the gift with a sense of connection to their origins. Perhaps it is why I so enjoy your personal pieces – a sense of documenting events of your family – Angela, it is a real gift to your family.

Warmly, Maralene Strom
from the Northwoods of Wisconsin