The tree pictured first showed up for me as an anonymous image meant to represent this holiday season. For years I’ve wanted to replace, as well as add some words and phrases to its branches – to fashion a tree meant to embrace all seasons and all people. I finally took the time to finish that work so that it depicts not only a season or holiday, but every-day living to me. Every separate idea is meant as a message for how to think and feel and behave . . . each and every day

. . . and there I was, doing it again and muttering to myself, “Well, that was a stupid thing to do. I can’t believe I did it again. I am an idiot!” It took a while before I began to finally realize I was once more inadvertently creating the beginnings of an unintentional mantra – a repetition of what I like least about myself. I’ve come to believe that “I am” might just be the most important phrase we ever use, because the thoughts we place after those words have the power