Hi, Jennyo:

You may find that at some point in your life, your gift of writing will bear fruit. Gifts come with a variety of directions on the bottle. Some say "Use before this date," or "Expires on this date." Others say "Use as needed." Some people are precocious and their gifts are most productive when they are very young. Some are just plain old Cocious, Like Grandma Moses. Some people flame out early and others burst into flame from long-banked coals that appear to have gone out. I've written all my life but have never been a "Writer." I don't even own a beret. I see my writing being channeled in new directions these days, and I think the label on my writing must surely say "Use As Needed."

These days, my writing is directed toward my Mother's life, which is slowly drifting away. She recently asked for a hospital bed in her room in Assisted Living because she has become too frail to spend much time in her chair, or her electric scooter. She's had a good life, filled with richness and heartbreaking disappointment, too.
In our family terminology, she's "Sitting on the Curb" now, waiting for the Lord to drop by and take her home. Or as she puts it, she's "Turning the pages now, and each one is good." In the last couple of weeks she has become too weak to answer the phone, and when one of my sisters is there and calls so that she can talk to me and my wife, it is hard for her to even get a sentence out. Clearly, this is a time when I need to open my writing gift and use it, as it is needed. Each day, I will write a letter to my Mother in large enough type so that she can read it, and we'll enclose photographs of what we're doing. I know that the letters mean a lot to her, and even more to me. It's going to take awhile for me to say goodbye.

And by the way, Bok, Trickett and Muir recorded one of my songs "Living On The River," and Annie Muir recorded another of mine, "Old Blue Suit" on her solo album backed by ... Gordon Bok and Ed Trickett.

Gordon, Ed and Annie are wonderful people who also sing very well, thank you.

Jerry