Hello! I am excited to be joining this amazing virtual community. I'm a mid-age, married, mother of two teens. I have also been a preschool teacher, a nanny, a reading mentor/tutor, an ESL mentor/tutor, a flight attendant, a student, a traveler, and I have volunteered for several organizations. I'm a seeker of truth and wisdom, a compassionate human, a believer, a peacemaker, a shamanic priestess and a yet unpublished writer (other than posts). I also dance just for the sheer joy of it. I hike in the woods near my home nearly every day, stopping by the stream to connect to nature and all living things, to pray, and to express gratitude. I love life and love the earth. I love the journey of life, including the disappointments and harsh realities because there is always something to learn. I love humanity, for the most part, but I find violence toward any human or any living thing or destruction of the earth to be sacrilegious. Sometimes it is hard to be hopeful, but it is essential.