Dear, Sweet Ginny,

They say that actions speak louder than words, but don't you believe it! Just ask anyone who has had the great experience of reading your poems! Ahhh yes, words DO speak volumes, and I should know, for I have read every single one of your nearly four hundred poems. It is through the words of all those poems that I have learned the essence of your heart and soul, and have come to admire you greatly.

Through those words, I have learned more about you than I know about people with whom I have worked side by side for many years! I know how you feel about God, about living, loving, caring, and sharing; and about living one's life with a goal of helping others, and even how you feel about death and about dying.

I know how deeply you care for your friends, and that your heart overflows with great care and compassion for others. I know how much you love the sounds and the sights of God's Creation, and dancing daffies in the night, and I also know how you feel about those precious little critters called cats!

I know how you feel about the afterlife, and that you believe that our departed loved ones are still "with us" in an even more special way than before. I know what you think of joyful song, and I know what you think of the wonders to be found in silence. I know that you have a deeply spiritual side, and yet also a tremendously cute sense of humor.

I know how you feel about angels and their mission in our lives, and how you feel about your Bible. I know how you feel about Christmas bells, and Christmas trees, and babies, and little boys who fear God cannot see them because they are too small.

You have the ability to express the lonely heart of an abandoned toy, and the memories of an old ramshackled, worn out house! You can paint the world from inside the heart of a bag lady, or from the viewpoint of the snooty aristocrat.

You often splatter many colors upon the palette of your words... pink cows, chartruese cats, (pooor, poor Ms Lucy!) green horses, and blue dogs. Your palette lacks for nothing; not in subject matter, nor in lessons to be learned.

You very often speak so very tenderly in behalf of lonely folks, and of the elderly as they face their own bewildered mind of increasing confusion. You encourage us to treat them with love, patience, kindness, and words of reassurance. There are many lessons to be learned through your words, dear Ginny, and it behooves us all to heed those lessons of which you speak with such heartfelt sincerity, for "there, but for the grace of God, go we."

As I write this I am flabbergasted to realize that I know more of how you feel about so many things in life than I do even of my neighbors of over twenty years! We are very close, more like family than neighbors, and even have keys to one another's house.

But you know what, Ginny? You have an even more important key, for you have the key of sharing the wit and wisdom gained from the many experiences and lessons you have learned in your eight decades of life. We can all learn much about God, love, life, laughter, friendship, and compassion as you share your heart and soul with us through the eloquent words of your poetry.

Ahhh yes, m'friend, you are a poet, a teacher, a preacher, an advisor, a realist, a comedian, a dreamer, a schemer, a story-teller, an artist, a counselor, a role model, and a great, great friend, all wrapped up into one neat bundle called Ginny! How blessed are we to know the likes of you!

I can honestly say, Ginny, that not a single one of your wonderful poems has ever failed to touch my heart and stir my emotions in one way or another. It doesn't matter which poem I choose to read...I either burst out in laughter, shed tears of joy, or even tears of sadness.

Some of them make me reminisce and journey back in time, while others make me want to weep for the sad and lonely. Others make me want to fall on my knees and worship and praise the Lord you love and write about so eloquently while others make me want to go for a walk in the woodlands to worship the Creator and to listen to His Symphony, but not one of them has ever failed to touch me deeply.

Every word, every line, every stanza just radiates with whatever emotion you are writing about at the time. I revisited your bio page that I had read so long ago, and within it you speak of having closer and more frequent communication with God now that you live alone, and that He is directing your writing. And so it is no wonder that you are able to write so marvelously, so heart-touchingly, and so eloquently, for the words are flowing straight from the heart of the Lord through your heart and then to ours!

Ginny, I chose this beautiful webset for my tribute page to you because it suits you in every way.... sweet, gentle, and freshly appealing in a very special way. Even the name of the webset, "Forever Spring," suits you perfectly!

Yes, Sweet Ginny, you are eighty years old today, but you are most certainly "forever spring," and remain just as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside, and just as welcomed into our lives and hearts as are the beautiful blooms that burst forth in the springtime bringing happiness, joy, beauty, and hope into our lives just as do your beautifully written, heart waming poems!

Ah yes Ginny....you are truly forever spring, forever wonderful, forever wise and witty, and forever welcome in our hearts! And WE are forever blessed to have you there!

I love you, Sweet Ginny!
Paula