Marsha Elyn Wright

The unequaled Eric Carle left us this year. Thankfully, his picture book masterpieces won’t die anytime soon.
Born in 1929 in Syracuse, New York, Carle spent a lifetime nurturing his passion for art and children. He grew up and was educated in Germany while keeping his dream alive of returning to America. At 23, he arrived in New York with his portfolio and a pocketed $40.00.

By nature, we are diverse. We have individual wants, cultures, beliefs, gender identities, and ages. By design, we are united within a hodgepodge of humanity by our needs: food, shelter, hope, a sense of belonging, a sense of faith beyond ourselves, to be loved and to love. Within our growing years and onward, we live many lives as “one” person, spirit, or soul. However we label it.

Are we lined up at the Graduation Gate? Are we seasoned souls with years of experience? No matter where we are in life, we can begin to be more than we were yesterday.
University of Southern California senior Kaitlyn Chu started boldly. Living through the pandemic with the rest of us, Kaitlyn understood how isolation, empty cities, and covered faces has created an uncommon world for us, especially for children. She wanted to help calm the shivers that children get seeing masked faces. On strangers. On those they love. On themselves.

Sub-zero weather and my cat ventures out. No wonder felines have nine lives. My cat’s only three and she’s on her eighth life.
Her snowprints remind me of how we all leave impressions every day by our words, our actions, our silence. Sometimes our impact is small, even unnoticed. Other times we do something bold, outside of the safe zone.

Finding the inspiration to stay positive during a pandemic year of “unusuals” was draining, if not pointblank depressing. Amid the chaotic climate of 2020, patience and impatience for “normalcy” bounced out of balance. All across...