This reflection weaves poetry, memory, and gratitude as Jane navigates early grief after Jerry’s death—holding sorrow and hope together. Through small kindnesses, shared stories, writing, faith, and community, she honors love that endures, learns to live beyond “hanging in there,” and carries forward a life shaped by devotion, creativity, and the quiet power of tending oneself while remembering deeply.

A teenage promise made on a hot summer day at the county fair ended in a hospital room and a doctor’s hard-earned wisdom. Keeping one’s word shapes character, but life eventually teaches that honoring our limits and tending ourselves is not breaking a promise—it’s keeping one that truly matters.

In Mary’s country, I met readers, shared stories, and felt the deep joy of connection. From cupcakes to courageous women, from salt air to signing books beside poet Dana Huneke-Stone, June was a celebration of resilience, reading, and community. Thank you for making the “select group” of readers a little smaller.