Who would you sit down with – and why?

I would love to sit down with my Grandma Norma. I spent a lot of time with her as a child and teen but could not realize (due to my age and immaturity) how she was a truly amazing woman! I look back now and realize she had such a great inner strength. Just so everyone can get a picture of her, she was 4’9″ and weighed probably 95 lbs. She was a tiny, petite lady. She lived alone (not even with a pet) for many years after my grandfather died. She was always calm and spoke in such a quiet, loving voice. She didn’t drive and walked to the grocery store when she needed something. She was humble and enjoyed every simple thing. She loved spending time with family and that’s all she needed. I never heard her speak one negative thing. Never heard her raise her voice. And never saw her get angry. Even her passing was serene, she passed away in her sleep one night. I can only appreciate her now that I’m older. It takes a strength that comes from within and comes from the spirit to be so peaceful, kind, generous, and always loving.

I would love to sit with Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle In Time, published in 1962, receiving The Newbery Award for children’s literature. I would love to know how these futuristic ideas came to her at that time. This novel was given to our elementary school, and when I read it, at age ten, the story captivated me with its lessons of courage, standing up for oneself and not allowing people to be bullied, as well as presenting science and technology as something not limited to just adults, but to all open minds, including children. The wonderful theory called The Tesseract, which means a wrinkle in time, is one I have kept with me my entire life. Technology has a good and a bad side illustrated in the book, which means more to me now that I am re-reading this classic in our world run by technology. The end of the book ends with a powerful lesson, that shows how love is what really matters, and how it’s power is what truly saves lives.