Thanks for the Inspiration

I'm writing to thank Mr. Michael Moskaluk for his article "Gathering Nature's Autumnal Bounty" featured in The Voice last November. My 9-year-old son and I ran across the article while perusing the Internet in search of information about the native American chestnut for his third grade classroom assignment.

I must admit, it was the name that distinguished his from the other articles referenced (I once knew a Michael Moskaluk who had a profound impact on my life while attending school in West Virginia). But once I read his prose, I was entranced by the imagery and moved by his description of our past and present connection to Mother Nature.

My son had found lots of information about the disappearing chestnut, but none that so poetically captured the essence from a point of nostalgia. The piece was so beautifully written, I had Christopher close his eyes and listen as I read parts of the article aloud to him to bring the words to life.

As a working mom, it is preposterously easy to get caught up in the fast pace of today's world and forget that childhood memories are in the making. So, a heartfelt "thanks" to you, Mr. Moskaluk, for your gentle reminder to take time to be "a part of the living" and to savor the gifts of autumn with my sons. Now I am planning to take my boys on a hike in the woods, find a quiet place in a quaking, golden grove of aspen, and teach them to "listen to the raining of the leaves."

Thank you, sir, for your inspiration. And I do hope to run across more of your writing in the future.