I have spent the better part of my life expressing myself through the written and spoken word. After I graduated from Layton School of Art, the late Ray Witthuhn, who was the manager of Moon Beach Camp in Northern Wisconsin, commented very favorably about my letter-writing skills. Ray's positive comments encouraged me to continue writing.

My philosophy is that life is a gift and the best way we can live life is to share it. One way I share my life with others is through the written word. In the course of my life, people and situations have inspired me to write the "expressions" found in this collection.

Several of the "expressions" in this collection were written for a friend of mine who came upon some very hard and challenging times. During this period, I wanted so much to help, but little that I did or said seemed appropriate or effective in helping my friend cope. So I wrote some "expressions" that I hoped would help.

In 1997, while producing an audio tape for my dad who was nearing the end of his life, I decided to include some "expressions." This was done for others after I realized how much my mom and dad appreciated it. So at the encouragement of Krister Norrman, a guest visiting our home from Sweden, I published the first edition of Expressions of Life. For the past six years, I have given this booklet to people who were grieving the loss of a loved one or simply needed a little "lift" or inspiration in their lives. Their response has been very positive and has prompted me to continue writing and publish this second edition.

Life is very unpredictable, but one thing is very certain. When we take our gift of life and share it with others, our life will be enriched and forever changed for the better.